Amnesia - A New Beginning
by Nova Edgewater
Summary: A girl is found unconscious in the town square of Echo Village. When she awakes she has no recollection of her past. The girl can't help but feel afraid that some danger is looming. Will she find safety and security in Echo Village? Can she remember what she needs to before it's too late? (Sort of a crossover with Magical Melody too.)
1. Chapter 1

**Another new mystery story since I can't seem to stay away from them :)**

* * *

_Her heart was pounding in her chest. She couldn't stop running, if she did he would catch up to her, and she couldn't afford that. She needed to get away. Heavy raindrops poured over her body, blurring her vision. The slick, wet grass felt cold under her bare feet. She couldn't stop though. If she stopped... Oh goddess she didn't want to think of what would happen if she stopped. She was completely unaware of her surroundings, all that mattered was getting away. She ran until she couldn't run anymore, and then she collapsed._

* * *

"What's wrong with her?" Neil asked. He had found the young girl laying unconscious, and had quickly run to get the town's mayor, Dunhill, who lived close by. The young animal farmer was ill equipped to handle such situations. Things like this simply did not occur in their small town.

"Not quite sure. You say you found her here in the square?" Dunhill asked.

"Yup, right where I usually set up shop."

"Poor thing musta got caught in last night's storm, wonder what she's doin' here," Dunhill mused. His brow furrowed. It had been a long time since anyone new had moved to Echo Town. While it had certainly become more established than it was before, people weren't exactly flocking to move there. "Best go get Dr Klaus. He'll be wanting to examine her for sure." Neil grumbled something under his breath and left to get the doctor.

The young girl laying on the concrete was small. She had a dark chestnut brown hair that was tangled around her face. She looked pale, almost lifeless. Dunhill could see the rise and fall of her chest indicating life in her. As Dunhill continued to examine her, checking with his limited knowledge for serious injury, the girl started moving. A soft moan escaped her lips.

"Wha-" the young girl started saying. Her voice was hoarse and weak. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands. Instantly she set up. Her head was spinning. "Where am I?"

"Well hello young lady, you are in Echo Town," Dunhill answered soothingly. The girl regarded him with fearful eyes. Something inside of her screamed to run, but she remained rooted to the spot. "My name is Dunhill, I'm the mayor here. What is your name?" Dunhill was trying desperately to to calm the girl's obviously frazzled nerves.

"I... My name?" She asked. She lifted her hand up and stared as if the answer to his question was buried somewhere within the lines on her palm. Why couldn't she remember her name? Panic started to settle in.

How does one forget her name?

Dunhill stared at the girl shocked.

He'd heard of cases like this, but never saw it first hand. This girl must have amnesia.

"It's alright," Dunhill soothed. "We've got a Doctor on the way, he's going to help you." For whatever reason this thought offered little comfort to the girl. In fact, if anything, it filled her with dread.

"How long have I been here?" The girl asked.

"I am not so sure myself," Dunhill answered. "Someone else found you. Neil, he's the one that went to get the doctor."

The girl pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face in her arms. She could not think straight. Fear enveloped her.

"Dunhill!" Klaus called out.

"Over here!" Dunhill answered. He waved his arm in the air. The doctor and Neil came rushing over.

"Good to see that's she's conscious," Klaus stated. He held his hand out to the girl. Instantly she shrunk away from him. He had a stern looking face with sharp angles, and a pointy nose. Even though he was smiling, the smile failed to reach his eyes. She looked instead to Dunhill. Sadly, right now, he was the only person that she knew; albeit only for a few moments. Klaus sighed. He was accustomed to people being afraid of him.

"It's alright," Dunhill advised. "He's here to help you." The young girl finally relented. She still refused to take his hand.

"Are you coming too?" She asked Dunhill.

"Sure I reckon I can tag along," Dunhill chuckled. Perhaps it was because she reminded him of his daughter who had moved out of Echo town a long time ago.

"Thank you," the young girl stated. The trio walked to the small town's clinic.

"She seems to have amnesia of some sort," Klaus informed Dunhill after the examination. "There's no bump on her head, so I can only deduce that she's had some sort of trauma happen to her."

"So she doesn't remember anything?" Dunhill asked.

"Not a thing, it's like she's a blank slate," Klaus informed. "I have never seen a case this bad before." Dunhill looked over the small girl. She looked so helpless and lost.

"What are we going to do with her?" Dunhill asked. Klaus shrugged.

"Not our responsibility is it?" Klaus asked annoyed.

"Yes it is," Dunhill stated. Klaus was a great doctor, but too distant and uncaring at times.

"Look if you feel the need to help her go ahead, my job's done. Physically speaking she's fine," Klaus asserted. Dunhill shook his head and walked over to the girl.

"So you really don't remember anything?" Dunhill asked. She shook her head.

"I wish I could," she sighed.

"Well you are more than welcome to stay here if you wish," Dunhill explained. Her eyes lit up.

"I would love to stay here!" She gasped.

"Now what should we call you?" Dunhill asked.

"Rachel," the girl responded.

"Where'd you get that from?" Dunhill asked chuckling.

"Not sure," she said scratching her head. "It just came to me."

"Well then Rachel it is!" Dunhill stated. Rachel smiled, for the first time since she'd regained consciousness she was starting to feel safe.

* * *

The shrill ring of the phone pierced through the air. A man answered it quickly.

"Speak!" He boomed. He had little patience for mistakes. The man he had hired had made enough of them already.

"She got away sir," a voice said timidly. "We couldn't catch her.

"What?!" The man shouted.

"I'm sorry! I'm not sure what happened but she got away!" The other pleaded.

"Well then I suggest you go find her," the first said attempting to keep calm. "You know what's at stake here."

"Yes sir," came the response. He hung the phone up. He'd put a lot of money, and had a lot invested into this project and he was not prepared to lose it all because of a stupid mistake some lackey underling made.


	2. Chapter 2

**Slightly uneventful, just trying to get the base of the story set up.**

* * *

Dunhill walked with Rachel out of the Clinic as quickly as he could. While Klaus Stanson was a great doctor, his bedside manor left a lot to be desired. Rachel already seemed leery of him, so Dunhill thought it was best to get her out of there.

"Our local farmer, Henry, is looking for some help on his farm," Dunhill advised. "If you're lookin' to stay you'll need a job."

"That sounds lovely," Rachel stated. She was pretty sure she'd never done farm work before, but it was better than nothing.

"Let's get you to that farm then!" Dunhill exclaimed.

* * *

Henry Jones had made a good life for himself in Echo Village. His farm was ever expanding, and he needed help. He certainly didn't want to keep asking his beautiful wife Felicity, her passion was cooking and food. She was a renowned food critic. He was proud of her accomplishments, and he wanted her to be able to dedicate her time to what she loved. Henry stretched out his back. Farming was hard, yet very rewarding work. He looked up to see Dunhill come onto his farm with a little wisp of a girl.

"Mornin' Henry!" Dunhill called out.

"Mornin'," Henry greeted back. They exchanged some light pleasantries in the crisp morning sunlight.

"You still lookin' for some help?" Dunhill asked.

"Why? You looking to fill that position?" Henry laughed. Dunhill chuckled in response.

"Me no!" Dunhill exclaimed. "My old man bones are much too brittle for the type of work you do my boy. No, we got us a newcomer to town lookin' for some work." Dunhill motioned his head toward the girl.

"Are you sure?" Henry asked. He wasn't sure how much help the small girl standing next to Dunhill would be.

"Sure as shootin'," Dunhill replied. Henry stared skeptically at the girl.

"Name's Henry, what's your name?" Henry greeted.

"Ummm... Rachel," she answered timidly.

"Rachel what?"

She looked at Dunhill for help. How was she supposed to answer that question?

"She has amnesia," Dunhill answered. Neil found her on the ground in the square. Doesn't know who she is. We sorta just picked the name Rachel."

Henry looked at the girl dubiously. He had heard about such things happening, but wasn't sure if he believed any of it. This girl didn't seem too dangerous, but he had learned from his time in the city, the good ones never do.

"I dunno-" he started.

"Henry Thornton Jones!" The voice of his wife came to him clear across the morning air. "After hearing that, how can you not hire her!" Felicity was standing just a few feet behind him in the window of the large farmhouse.

"How long have you been there?" Henry asked like a child with his hand caught in the cookie jar.

"That's not what matters! What matters is this girl needs our help!" Felicity all but scolded.

"I suppose you're right," Henry sighed. Felicity's caring heart was what made him fall in love with her in the first place. Turning to the girl he extended his hand. "You sure you're up for this?"

"Oh yes," Rachel replied.

"Great, now that we got that all settled, we just need to find you a place to stay," Dunhill said cheerily.

"Nonsense!" Felicity said through the window. "There's a perfectly good house here on the property for her. It's the one Henry first moved into, before he built this one. It's not being used, she can just stay there." Dunhill chuckled at Felicity's response, and Henry's following scowl.

"That would be great!" Dunhill exclaimed. "I'll leave her to you then."

Rachel didn't want to see him leave, he had been so kind to her and Henry didn't seem to want her there at all. She instead looked at Felicity who was more welcoming.

"Have you eaten yet?" Felicity asked. Rachel shook her head. "Men! I swear they really don't think of these details. I tell you what. I'm going to take you to our town's restaurant where I work."

"Thank you kindly," Rachel stated humbly.

Henry shook his head but said nothing. If Felicity wanted to extend kindness to this girl, then so would he. Felicity disappeared from the window.

"Are you sure you don't need me here?" Rachel asked.

"You go on with my wife. We'll get you to work soon enough, don't you worry!" Henry said. His voice was less harsh. It was as if he had made his decision to allow her to stay, so he was going to be nicer to her.

* * *

Rachel stood in the middle of the clothing store feeling more than a bit overwhelmed. After Felicity had provided a feast of more food than she could have ever possibly eaten, she had insisted they go to the tailor to buy Rachel some new clothes. Rachel found herself liking the tailor who had introduced herself as Yuri. She was a quiet, straight to the point type of girl, who said few words. She smiled slightly, very unlike Felicity, whose expressions spread across her face.

"Really, you should be wearing darker colors," Yuri stated looking at a few of the outfits Felicity had chosen. She was biting her bottom lip. Rachel would have taken anything. What she was currently wearing was not only plain, but obviously old and worn. She wasn't sure how she'd even acquired the clothes.

"Oh! Yuri, I obviously don't have the best eye for fashion!" Rachel heard Felicity say. Felicity put back some of the outfits she had picked out. Yuri replaced them with some other choices.

"I really don't need that many," Rachel insisted.

"Oh yes you do," Felicity countered. "There is so much to do here in town. Festivals, gatherings, and other such fun events, you can't possibly wear the same thing every time!" Rachel decided it was better not to argue with the farmer's wife, and instead she watched as Yuri and Felicity finished the transaction.

* * *

While Rachel was having clothing purchased for her, miles away in Flowerbud Village a doctor sat fuming in his office. He had hired the men because they were the best at what they do. Given the slightly illegal nature of "Project Rachel," he was enraged that these two men had let her slip from their grasp. Doctor Alex Martin had spent the last few years building up his image. He had always been seen as the wholesome, good man, in this town. But the money that was offered him was too good to give up. He slammed his fist against his desk, causing several items to fall off. They fell with a loud clatter on his hardwood floor.

"Are you okay in there doctor?" The voice of his nurse Gina called through the door.

"Everything's fine Gina!" Alex called back in response. Regardless of what was happening, he had to find a way to get it together. He picked up the items from the ground and placed them neatly back on his desk. Afterwards he picked up the telephone, to make a call he had been putting off.

"Speak," came a harsh voice.

"Sir, we can't locate her," Alex advised.

"Incompetent fools! Look I'm going to be sending someone your way! He's going to help you find her and fix this mess!"

Alex heard a distinctive click. He sighed heavily. The plan had been foolproof, if only for that girl! She was costing him a lot of money; money that he needed to keep up his failing practice. He needed to find her, his entire reputation depended on it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Flowerbud will not be in every chapter, but I felt the need to include it in the first few to set up my story. I am really enjoying this one. Hope you like it too!**

* * *

Detective Gwen Winters would have recognized mercenary Vaughn Layton anywhere. What he was doing in her hometown of Flowerbud, piqued her curiosity. When she had worked in the city, she'd seen him at the station quite often. She'd been a lowly grunt at that point, she'd only recently been promoted with her move back home. Vaughn was tough, and he liked to "bend the rules" as he called it.

Gwen made her way to the Sanatorium, where it was apparent he was staying. She wondered how p anyone there could be associated with Vaughn. Everyone there seemed to be upstanding. But Gwen knew from the job that she couldn't just trust appearances. Gwen entered the Sanatorium, Vaughn turned to look at the imposing guest. She could see that she was not welcome.

"Hello there," Gwen greeted.

"Miss Gwen," Alex greeted nervously. "H-have you met my cousin, Mark?" Gwen smiled brightly, as to not let on that she knew the stranger. She was hoping Vaughn didn't recognize her. When she'd been on the force in the city, she'd looked a lot different. She hadn't wanted to earn her way up through her beauty, but through her own merits.

"Hello Mark," Gwen greeted. "Of course I just wanted to check on the new person in town."

"Of course," Vaughn answered.

"Gotta take care of the town," Alex stated. Gwen could still hear the nervousness in his voice. She knew something was up, but she let the matter drop.

"Welcome to Flowerbud," Gwen stated and extended her hand out. Vaughn stared at it for a moment then shook it.

* * *

Rachel had not anticipated farm work to be so hard. Henry had put her to work with the animals. She enjoyed the chickens. In the henhouse she felt somewhat in control. Gathering eggs and feeding chickens was simple. However when she got to the barn, it was another story altogether. She worked for a half hour trying to get milk out of the cow, and she'd barely filled a quarter of the bucket. Suddenly the cow kicked up and knocked over her bucket.

"Argh!" Rachel screamed out in aggravation. She backed away from the cow, knowing that her aggravation would only make things worse at this point. She had a determination to make this work. She was so grateful for a safe place to stay. Waking up not remembering anything was frightening. Even though she was relatively safe on the farm.

Rachel stepped out of the barn to relieve some of the tension she was feeling. She was embarrassed to admit the cow had gotten the better of her. She saw Felicity coming out of the large farmhouse with a bright cheery smile on her face.

"Morning Rachel!" She called out.

"Good morning," Rachel greeted in response.

"How's it going?" Felicity inquired. Her genuine concern was rather touching.

"Um okay," Rachel replied. Felicity cocked her head to the side.

"What's up?" She asked, making her way over to the barn.

"Just taking a breather," Rachel said. "Been struggling with that same cow now for a while."

"Ah," Felicity sighed. "That's be Betty, she's a real hard one. Didn't Henry tell you the trick with her?" Rachel shook her head. If there was some trick to getting on that cow's good side, she'd like to know.

"No ma'am," Rachel answered.

"Tsk, that Henry! Well the trick is you have to brush her down first, then give her a cow treat, she's the oldest cow we own and very set in her ways," Felicity informed.

"Thank you!" Rachel sighed. She turned back around to head into the barn with a new determination.

It took a while, but Rachel finally got old Betty to cooperate. After dealing with that fiasco, the rest of the animals seemed easy by comparison. Rachel took the animal products to the maker shed, and settled into making butter, cheese and mayonnaise. The coolness of the she'd and the hum if the machines was rather pleasant. She could definitely get used to this part of the job.

All of her jobs took her until early afternoon to finish. The work was tough but rewarding. Henry had told her that when she was done, the rest of the day was hers. She retreated to her small house to take a shower. The water washed away the stink, sweat and frustration she'd had earlier. Being still early in the day, Rachel decided to explore town a bit. She passed by the square where she'd been found, a shop of animals and another of pets were set up. That area still have her shivers so she steered clear of there. She also was careful to avoid the clinic. On the farthest western part of town stood a beautiful mansion. She was amazed by the gorgeous topiaries and perfectly manicured lawn surrounding it. There was a small pasture of exotic alpacas. A man with a long almost silvery braid was attending them. He looked so at ease with the animals, Rachel couldn't help but stare. The one alpaca at Henry's farm had been quite fidgety around her.

"Who might you be? And what are you doing here?" A voice asked. Rachel jumped. She'd been so entranced watching the other man, she hadn't even noticed one come up to her. Another man with silvery hair dressed in bright white clothing, gleaming with gold stood before her.

"I- I am s-sorry," Rachel stammered. The man looked at her for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed. Rachel had the distinct feeling she was being mocked, and didn't appreciate it.

"You must be the new girl everyone's talking about," the man stated.

"People are talking about me?" Rachel asked.

"This is a small town. Everyone talks about everything," he stated. "By the way, sorry for being so rude, I am Prince Amir. I own these properties."

"I'm Rachel," she greeted, shaking his outstretched hand. She was slightly awestruck at meeting a prince.

"Well my lady, as much as I like having random beautiful women on my property, I must ask again, what are you doing here?"

"I was just exploring," Rachel stayed. She felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. "I got wrapped up watching the alpacas, I apologize."

"Don't, everyone is welcome here. I had just never seen you around before," Amir mused. Rachel was confused by this strange man. "Sanjay! Come meet the new girl!" The man attending the alpacas turned to where they were standing. Rachel felt herself blushing even more. She felt uncomfortable with all this attention. Sanjay walked over to them.

"Hello," he greeted. His voice was warm and melodic. Rachel instantly felt herself relaxing.

"Hello," Rachel echoed.

"This is the new girl in town, Rachel," Amir informed.

"A pleasure to meet you Miss Rachel," Sanjay stated. Rachel blushed again, and extended her hand, instead of shaking it, he lifted it to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss. A warm heat spread through her arm.

"Well I hope to see you again Miss Rachel, if you'll excuse my rudeness, I have to finish attending to the alpacas, they are a finicky bunch," Sanjay stated. He bowed slightly and returned to his work.

"Sanjay is great with animals," Amir said. Rachel barely heard what he was saying. She was trying not to stare at the man who had just left; and also trying to forget the tiny jolt she had felt when he had kissed her hand.

* * *

Alex was relieved that Gwen had bought the story of Vaughn being his cousin. He had rehearsed it several times the night before. Vaughn was the man that had been sent to him. Alex instantly hated him. He was rude, and harsh. He had made Alex feel like an idiot with his questioning. But, he was the best. If anyone could find The girl, it'd be Vaughn.

"So where's the last place your man saw her?" Vaughn asked again.

"I told you this already," Alex sighed. Vaughn came up close into Alex's face. He stood a good half foot taller than Alex.

"Tell me again," Vaughn stated. "I want to make sure you and I are on the same side." Alex sighed.

"Right outside of Flowerbud, she ran into the forest and they lost her." Vaughn eased back a bit.

"What's beyond the forest?" Vaughn asked.

"I don't know, it's a huge forest, there's no telling where she could have gone, or which direction," Alex stated.

"Then we start tonight with the surrounding forest area searching for clues," Vaughn barked.

"We?" Alex asked.

"Yes we," Vaughn answered. Alex inwardly groaned. This was not what he had bargained for at all when he'd signed on to this project.


	4. Chapter 4

**_A bit of a fluff chapter. Hope you enjoy it_**

* * *

_Rain splattered around her. Large drops splashed across her face. She was standing outside of a large building. She had finally made her way out. It was dark, and she could feel panic setting in. She started running, running away. She wasn't even sure where she was going to run to, but she kept running. The rain was cold and felt sharp against her skin. She looked back at the building, a man emerged. She headed for the forest. Hopefully she could lose them there, it was dark enough. She didn't look back, all she could do was keep running. The forest floor was rough on her feet, but she didn't care, she kept running. She had to keep going._

* * *

Rachel shot up in her small bed. Cold sweat beaded her forehead, outside the thunder and lightning was crashing around the small house. She shifted her body and put her feet on the cold hardwood floor. The dream had shaken her to the core. The sound of the rain outside made her fear intensify.

She turned the small lantern next to her bed on. The light flooded into the room, chasing away the shadows of the night. Rachel wrapped her arms around her chest.

She felt a shudder go through her body. She wasn't sure why she felt such an intense fear of rain. She walked over to the adjoining bathroom and splashed some water over her face. She needed to get a grip of her emotions. It was just rain. The lightning and thunder clapped once again, it rattled against the walls. The lights flickered, and suddenly it was dark. Rachel's heart started pounding even harder. For some reason the storm was more intimidating in the dark. Rachel stumbled her way back to her bed. Quickly she buried her head under the covers and waited for the storm to pass.

* * *

Henry awoke early because of the storm. It was quickly turning to a summer typhoon. On Felicity's insistence he made his way to the small farmhouse to tell Rachel she didn't have to work today. However when he reached the house no one answered. He headed for the barn surprised to see her there already.

I see Betty is getting used to you," Henry mused. She jumped at the sound of his voice. When she turned towards him, a look of fear quickly flashed across her face, followed by a look of relief. He could not help but wonder what had happened to make her so jumpy.

"Yes," Rachel answered timidly.

"Do you have candles and other supplies needed for this storm in that old house?" Henry asked. Rachel shook her head. "Go on up to the house then, Felicity will get you all set up. For the duration of the storm, don't worry about having to work."

Rachel couldn't help but stare at her employer for a moment. The kindness that he and his wife had extended had been unexpected.

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked. "I would hate for you to have to do it all alone. At least let me care for the chickens, the henhouse is closer to my house."

Henry looked at her surprised. Most women he had known would have jumped at the opportunity to get out of work; most men for that matter.

"Thank you," he stated. "Now get off to Felicity before she gets worried." Rachel nodded and headed for the big farmhouse.

Rachel couldn't believe how beautiful the inside of the large farmhouse was. Beautiful dark wood furniture and lush carpets filled the house. Rachel found it cozy yet elegant.

"I realized that I didn't furnish you with any candles, or matches. We lose power at least twice a summer. Those typhoons are bad," Felicity advised. Felicity held out a package. "There is some dry goods in there, there should be an old kettle for the fireplace in the house."

"Oh thank you kindly," Rachel stated.

"It's nothing," Felicity stated.

"I should be getting back home," Rachel stated.

"Ok," Felicity stated slightly disappointed.

Rachel quickly left. For some reason she felt hesitant to get too close to anyone. After the previous night she could shake the feeling of fear. She didn't want people to get too involved. In the light of day the rain seemed less intimidating, but she still couldn't help but feel afraid. She didn't want anyone to be in danger because of her. She had no idea what had happened in her life before coming here, and she was not ready to allow anyone to be hurt because of something she didn't remember.

Rachel set her table for one. For some reason the entire process seemed strange. She felt as if this were something she was never meant to do, which of course was an odd thought. She wanted more than anything to remember, but her brain wouldn't work properly.

"What am I not remembering?" Rachel asked herself. She sighed, she would love nothing more than to stay here in Echo Town, she only hoped that she could.


	5. Chapter 5

**So the romance is starting in this chapter. Enjoy! **

* * *

The storm finally subsided, and power and life returned back to the Echo village. Rachel found that all the animals were anxious to be able to get outside. Being cooped up in their respective barns for a few days had made them all antsy. She didn't even attempt to do anything until they were in the fresh sunlight. Today was the first day she was going to attempt to shear the alpaca. The animal was very skittish. Typically it would take a half an hour just to brush him.

Rachel tried to coax him with some treats, but the stubborn animal was having none of it. Whenever she attempted to get near it with the shears, it would let out a loud high pitched noise then run away. She went to plan b and tied a rope around him to get him to stay, but he jumped around do much she was afraid he would hurt himself. Finally giving up she decided it was time to seek help from the one person she knew was an expert in alpacas. She stopped to inform Henry of her impromptu trip.

"That would be wonderful," Henry stated. "I have yet to be able to get that thing to cooperate." With his permission, she made her way over to the mansion. 

* * *

Sanjay found himself whistling the same jovial tune he'd been whistling for days. It was starting to irritate Amir, but he couldn't seem to stop singing it. He wasn't even sure how he knew the tune, but it was lovely all the same. The alpacas seemed to enjoy the beautiful melody that he was whistling. He looked up to see the girl who had started his singing coming down the lane. He tried to avoid staring at her, but it was difficult. The girl was quite beautiful. Amir appeared to see her too, he went up to greet the girl. Sanjay sighed. He was a mere servant, he would have no chance against Prince Amir. He stopped whistling. One of the alpacas nudged him.

"None of that," he said calmly. The alpaca made a spitting noise. Sanjay jumped out of the way, and gently patted the alpaca in response. He surruptitiously watched the girl and Amir in their exhanges. Amir pointed in his direction. Sanjay quickly busied himself so it wouldn't appear that he had been watching them.

Rachel walked towards the man who was taking care of the alpacas. The last exchange between them had made her nervous. She had not known how to respond to him. she felt a fluttering in her stomach as she slowly approached the man.

"Hello," Rachel greeted. "Amir stated I could come to you and ask you about your alpacas."

"My alpacas?" Sanjay asked. "What do you need to know about my alpacas?" He was curious as to why this lovely girl was inquiring about his beloved animals.

"Well," Rachel said. "I have an alpaca that I am working with on the farm, and I am just not able to get near it." Sanjay chuckled. Alpacas were certainly finicky creatures. He had learned that himself the hard way many years ago. Rachel did not look so amused.

"Don't be offended my lady," Sanjay stated. "I am not laughing at you. I am laughing about the alpacas. They are tender creatures."

"That's one word for it," Rachel mumbled. She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. There was something surprisingly innocent about this girl. Perhaps it was her amnesia that made her appear so.

"Alpacas can sense your emotions. If you feel tense, or angry or any other emotions besides calm while trying to approach them, they will not allow you to tend to them. What you need to do is relax your mind, and allow the alpaca to get used to you," Sanjay advised. Rachel looked at him dubiously. She was not sure she believed it was that easy. "Come." He held out his hand. Rachel accepted it without thinking. His hand felt warm against hers, she felt herself blushing. He pulled her in front of him, they were inches apart, with an alpaca in front of them. The alpaca started fidgeting.

"You need be calm," Sanjay whispered. That was easier said than done. She was not sure how he expected her to be calm and relax when they were so close to each other. Rachel could feel her heart beating in her chest. She hoped it wasn't beating so loudly that he could hear it as well.

Sanjay couldn't help but indulge himself just a bit where this beautiful girl was involved. He was careful not to be inappropriate, but he was enjoying the proximity to her.

"Calm," he repeated. His voice was melodic and low. Amazingly Rachel felt herself calming down. "Now take a few deep breaths, and hold your hand out to him, don't try to grab him, don't try to touch him." Rachel complied. The alpaca at first did nothing. But eventually it slowly started sniffing her hand.

"What is it doing?" she asked.

"It's getting used to you. Now very slowly, lift your hand up to rub it's head," Sanjay instructed. Rachel complied. The alpaca amazingly didn't move away from her touch. "The trick is slow movements. Do not make any sudden movements, and never try to grab one that isn't comfortable with you yet." Sanjay reached his hand out to pat the alpaca as well. It brushed against Rachel's arm. She felt a shiver of excitement go up her arm. She pulled away. The alpaca jumped, and ran off.

"Sorry," Rachel muttered. "Thank you so kindly for the lesson. Sorry but I must be going." With that she left. Sanjay watched her leave smiling. He wasn't sure exactly what effect he'd had on the small girl, but he knew that she had noticed him, for now, that was enough.


	6. Chapter 6

**Love triangle! I love those if you can't tell :)**

* * *

Alex shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He didn't like the mercenary that was sent to him. Vaughn was rude and abrupt. He was very blunt about the fact that the boss blamed him.

"I realize that we need to find her, but she's been gone for days, she could be anywhere," Alex sighed. He had wanted to gain notoriety and money from this endeavor. He had never intended to do this more than once, but he hadn't been able to resist the money. He wanted to marry Eve, but he knew he needed money for that.

"Listen I don't think I gotta tell you he pissed. We need to figure out where she could have gone, before that pretty little cop figured out what we're doing," Vaughn sneered.

"Listen, even if she does get away, she's not going to know enough to say anything," Alex stated.

"You're an idiot if you think that," Vaughn growled.

* * *

Gwen sat in front of her desk. She didn't like what she was seeing in front of her. She'd done her investigating and Vaughn was no longer a free-lance mercenary, he was now contracted by the Maion Corporation. The company was crooked, yet no one could pin them down for any of their crimes. Vaughn was also no relation to Alex. Gwen couldn't help but wonder what the young doctor had gotten himself into, or if he even knew himself.

"Afternoon Gwen," her lover Kurt greeted. Gwen smiled at him. He was such a handsome man. She'd loved him from the moment he had been taken in by her grandfather. No one knew of their little affair and she preferred to keep it that way. "I brought you some coffee and lunch from Cafe Kalaui." Gwen could smell the delicious lunch wafting from the bag. She supposed she could take a short break. She was tired of trying to connect the dots anyway. It made no sense for Alex to be connected to Maion. Is he was it could be dangerous for everyone in Flower Bud.

* * *

Rachel wandered around the festival area. Felicity had insisted she come to the fireworks festival. There were many tables set up with all different kinds of food. She wandered around taking little nibbles of everything. It was so exciting being around people.

"You enjoying yourself pretty lady?" Sanjay whispered in her ear. Rachel blushed. The last time she had seen Sanjay was a week earlier when he'd helped her with the alpaca. She had tried not to think about him, but it was near impossible.

"Yes I am," Rachel replied. Sanjay smiled. Her voice sounded relaxed and calm. She looked stunning this evening in a dark red checkered skirt and black top. Her hair was pulled neatly back in a braid. She wasn't going to win any glamorous awards, but she had an elegance and a grace about her.

"I can't wait for the fireworks to start!" Amir stated. He had come up beside the duo.

"I can't remember if I've ever seen fireworks," Rachel replied.

"Why don't you come sit with us?" Amir invited. "Let those two newly need lovebirds be on their own."

"Oh thank you," Rachel stated. She was a bit unnerved by Amir's outgoing personality. She much preferred the quiet soft spoken Sanjay.

"Fireworks are beautiful, I'm sure they are something you'd remember if you ever saw them," Amir advised. He hooked his arm through Rachel's. There was no rush of emotions or blush creeping to her face with Amir's touch. She allowed him to lead her to their ornate blanket.

Sanjay sighed. Amir was always able to woo any lady he wanted. Sanjay knew he would give up almost anything for his young boss. The three settled onto the blanket. Rachel glanced over at Sanjay, and quickly looked away when he caught her eye. He couldn't be sure because of the darkness, but he thought he saw the faintest hint of a blush on her cheeks.

"How is your alpaca?" Sanjay asked. Rachel's face fell slightly.

"Ok, still won't let me shear him," she but her bottom lip, a move Sanjay found incredibly sexy.

"It takes a while," Sanjay advised.

"I still can't get near mine," Amir stated. "That's why I let him take care of them." Amir noises in Sanjay's direction. Sanjay backed down from the conversation. Amir's personality was much more exuberant than his. Rachel and Amir chatted lightly before the fireworks began. Sanjay participated when he could, but it was clear Amir had not invited Rachel over for Sanjay's benefit.

Rachel was slightly disappointed that Amir took over most of the conversation. She wanted to talk more to the other man. When the fireworks finally started, she was equally awed and terrified. The loud booming noise frightened her. She didn't understand why, but for sone reason she felt afraid again. She was glad when they were finally over and she could retreat to the safety of her home.

* * *

_She couldn't see. There was a bright light shining in her eyes. All she could see were shadows. She knew they were male from the sounds of their muffled voice._

_"Hold her down," one ordered. She felt rough hands on her arms and legs. Suddenly there was a sharp prick from a large needle in her leg. She screamed and kicked._

_"I told you to hold her down!" The same voice barked out. She felt herself losing the battle as two men held her down. Tears were streaming down her face as she felt the sharp needle again._

* * *

Rachel sat up in bed. The nightmares were so frequent, so vivid. She was in a cold sweat. Her heart was pounding. She could feel nothing but fear. She turned the light on, she threw her blankets off her legs to reveal scars on both of her legs. They looked like they were from needles. Rachel was not sure if those were dreams or memories. She gently touched the scars she saw. They frightened her. She quickly covered them up and laid back down in bed, trying to forget about her dream and the scars. Finally she drifted back to sleep, with she light still on_._


	7. Chapter 7

**more crazy stuff ahead. If you're confused there's a reason behind it. It will all make sense eventually. **

* * *

There was something soothing about tending to the animals. Rachel immersed herself in her work, trying to keep herself distracted from the nightmare. She couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that the dreams she was having were more than just dreams.

Rachel allowed her thoughts to drift to Sanjay instead. A warm flush crept into her cheeks. Rachel found him incredibly handsome. He had been so kind to her. Rachel sighed, a man like that would find little interest in a girl with no memory. Besides which, Rachel didn't even know if she was free to have feelings for anyone.

"Easy there Betty," Rachel soothed. The finicky cow fought against Rachel's attempt to milk her this morning. Betty mooed back her response. Rachel giggled lightly. Animals had such an honest aura about them. She wished life were as simple as just taking care of the animals. "I wish I could remember my life before this."

Later that afternoon Rachel was wandering around the mountain area, when she ran into a bubbly girl.

"Hi," the girl greeted. "I've heard so much about you! My name is Tina, I'm a journalist."

"Hello," Rachel answered. The girl standing before her smiled happily. She had short strawberry blonde hair, and was wearing a bright orange vest over a plain white T-shirt. Her style was very eccentric. Rachel liked how friendly she seemed, but something about her being a journalist made her uncomfortable.

"I'd love to do an article about you," Tina said. Rachel's heartbeat quickened. She couldn't help but feel afraid of the concept of a public story about her.

"I would rather you didn't," Rachel stated. Tina looked at her curiously.

"Oh?" Tina asked.

"I'm sorry," Rachel mumbled. "I should get going." Rachel walked away from the girl with hurried steps.

Tina stood pondering the interaction between the new girl and herself. The investigator in her couldn't help but be curious about the girl's evasiveness. Tina was never one to back down from a juicy scoop, and this was was certainly sounding promising.

* * *

Vaughn arrived in a small town called Konohana. He wasn't sure what he'd find, but this was a start. Konohana bordered Flowerbud. It had a very eastern feel to it. He stopped at the tea house. He knew from experience in small towns that people were unwilling to share info with strangers. Especially someone like him.

"Welcome to Konohana," an older woman greeted. She looked at Vaughn suspiciously.

"Thank you Ma'am," Vaughn greeted in his friendliest tone.

"My name is Yun, what can I get for you?" she asked.

"Name's Mark. I'm just traveling through. Saw this place and decided to stop in," Vaughn stated. Yun's eyes narrowed.

"Don't get much through traffic here in Konohana," Yun replied. Vaughn sighed. Getting information out of her would be harder than he'd anticipated.

Yun was a woman who'd seen many con artists in her life. Her late husband had been one. She could spot someone who was lying a mile away. This stranger was holding something back. Yun could also see his pistol holstered under his jacket. People in these parts had no need to carry around weapons.

"Just lookin for something to eat and a place to rest," The stranger replied.

"Well you can get food here," Yun replied. "As for rest we only have the town hall, no Inn."

"That'll be fine with me," he replied. Yun smiled stiffly at the stranger. Hopefully he wouldn't be in town for too long.


	8. Chapter 8

**Once again the ambiguity here is for a reason. Thanks for reading! More of the puzzle to come soon **

* * *

Tina couldn't resist snooping just a bit. The new girl had left such a tantalizing story dangling in her face. The quick denial only intensified her curiosity. Tina wanted to get this story even more. But she wasn't sure how to even start to investigate someone who supposedly didn't remember her past. Tina couldn't help but be suspicious about Rachel. Something didn't add up. Tina very rarely took things at face value. She'd learned a long time ago to look farther into things. The only problem was that Tina didn't know where to start. She decided since Neil was the first to see the girl, she would start there.

"Good morning Neil," Tina greeted. The blond haired animal dealer was standing behind his normal counter in the town square.

"Are you here to shop?" Neil asked.

"No, I've got some questions for you," Tina explained. Neil sighed.

"If you're not here to buy anything, don't waste my time," Neil grumbled. Tina knew that Neil could be abrasive, but she was persistent.

"I just have a few questions about the new girl, you were the one who found her right?" Tina asked.

"Yes," Neil answered.

"Can you tell me anything about her?" Tina asked.

"Why are you asking me? I just found her. Dunhill would know more," Neil stated. He turned away from Tina to tend to one of his animals. Tina sighed. Clearly she wasn't going to get any information out of Neil.

* * *

Rachel decided her favorite part of the day was wandering in the mountain area. She had taken to gathering herbs and other various fruits. Her favorite part though, is that she would typically run into Sanjay wandering around. When she was around him, she would forget about her fears for a brief moment. She liked running into him in the mountains, because then he'd be by himself, instead if having Amir with him.

"Ah my lady," Sanjay greeted softly. "How nice to see you. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were following me into the mountains." Rachel blushed. It was true that she had hoped to see him, but she certainly wasn't following him. Sanjay enjoyed watching her cheeks turn a bright pink color, one of the few innocent pleasures afforded to him.

"Just gathering herbs," Rachel mumbled.

"What is it you do with all those wonderful herbs?" Sanjay asked.

"I'm working on making some herb recipes, I just came up with a new recipe for herb cheese yesterday," Rachel explained.

"Ah, I would love to try this cheese of yours sometime," Sanjay stated.

"Oh I'm not even s-sure it's good," Rachel stammered.

"Well I'd still love to try it," he insisted. Rachel looked at the ground. She was not sure how to react. She wondered how her former self reacted in these situations. At that moment she remembered that she might not be available to have these thought or feelings. What if she had a husband or boyfriend looking for her?

"I am sure I can arrange that," Rachel replied. "But I must get going," Rachel took her leave before she said or did anything else. It was hard to ignore the attraction she felt for the silvery haired man. She wanted to make sure that having feelings for him was okay. She needed to remember.

* * *

"I'm looking for Doctor Alex Martin," the man advised. Gwen was standing in the mayor's office when this tall handsome man had walked in. The stranger had light blonde hair and was impeccably dressed in a tailored suit. Gwen couldn't get the feeling that he looked familiar.

"Another cousin of his?" Gwen asked sardonically. She was curious as to why do many strangers had come into Flowerbud for Alex.

"No, I'm a business associate of his, in a manner of speaking. My name is Will Regison III," the man informed.

"THE Will Regison? New CEO of Maion Corporation?" Gwen asked.

"The one and only," Will replied. Gwen could tell he was waiting for her to fawn all over him.

"Well Mr Regison, I'm the sheriff here," Gwen said. "Let me personally escort you to the Sanatorium."

* * *

Alex grumbled under his breath. Vaughn had tasked him with scouring through local newspapers to see if he could find any stories about a missing girl. He had spent hours searching and reading. His head was pounding. The "Echo Village Gazette" sat on his desk. Alex felt like tossing the paper. Nothing exciting ever happened in these stupid towns. Every newspaper identical. Who won this festival? Who's getting married? Alex had better things to do.

The door to the Sanatorium opened and Sheriff Winters walked in with Mr Regison. Alex groaned. This he did not need.

"Mornin' Alex," Gwen greeted cheerily. "You're one popular person these days." Alex studied her face for any double meaning. She was smiling brightly.. He was relieved that the young girl was foolish enough to not suspect a thing.

"Mr. Regison," Alex greeted, forcing his voice to be calm. "So nice to see you here."

"Well I'll be going," Gwen stated. "You all have a great day." She turned to leave.

Will watched to make sure the cop was well on her way. There was no need for any small time cop to get in his way. He was angry that he was even here.

"You know why I'm here?" Will asked.

"Project Rachel?" Alex asked.

"damn right! How could you screw this up? Do you know what's riding on the line here?" Will asked.

"Mr. Regison..." Alex started. Will came close up into Alex's face.

"Let me tell you something. I have a lot invested in this. This is not just about science and money here! The woman I love is at risk here!"

"I u-understand," Alex stammered.

"Do you?" Will asked. His voice was dangerously soft. "Then why aren't you looking harder?"

"I am!" Alex stated.

"If this doesn't get fixed, I'll personally make sure you regret it," Will threatened. He left the Sanatorium and Doctor Martin. He was tired of having to clean up this mess.


	9. Chapter 9

**Not much romance here just advancement of story.**

* * *

"How can you not find it at all strange and suspicious that this girl claims she doesn't remember anything, but also doesn't want a story out there about her so we can find out who she is? Have you ever considered that perhaps she is hiding something?" Tina asked Dunhill. She had come to Dunhill's house to ask more about Rachel. When she had informed Dunhill that she'd gotten no where with neither Rachel nor Neil. Dunhill had told her that perhaps if Rachel did not feel comfortable telling her story, that Tina should let it drop.

"Tina," Dunhill said softly. "I don't think that there's anything sinister happening here."

"How do you know?" Tina asked. "She could be a criminal on the run!"

"Don't you think if she were a criminal on the run, you'd have heard about it by now?" Dunhill asked. "I know that you have your connecteions."

"I still think you're being niave Dunhill. Not everyone tells the truth you know!" Tina insisted. She knew that her criminal theory was bunk. Dunhill was right, she'd have found out by now

"You should probably let this drop Tina," Dunhill stated. "You are also not looking at the other side of this. What if she doesn't want you to publish the story because she's in danger, if that's the case, then we need to do what we can to protect her."

"Why do you care so much about someone you hardly know?" Tina asked exasperated.

"I care about all the people who live in this town, Tina," Dunhill explained. Tina sighed aggravated. Clearly she wasn't going to get anywhere with him either. That left Klaus. He was not the most pleasant person to deal with, but hopefully he would see to reason. She liked Dunhill, but he tended to be an idealist. He saw everyone as goodhearted and gave everyone the benefit of the doubt. Tina knew from her investigations that people often didn't deserve it.

Dunhill chuckled at Tina's exasperation. Tina reminded him so much of his late wife. She had Tina's spunk and determination. He grew sad thinking of his dear Ellen. She had been such a lovely woman. Dunhill sighed. He missed his wife so much some days.

* * *

Vaughn was getting nowhere in Konohana. It was obvious that people there didn't trust any outsiders. The neighboring town of bluebell was no better. He'd only been there a few days, and it was obvious that the girl was not here. He needed to move on before people got too suspicious.

Zephyr Town was next on his list. He sighed heavily. This was tedious work searching for this girl, but the money was good. Will Regison was one of the richest men around, and he could afford Vaughn's rates. Vaughn usually liked more excitement than this. Maion Corporation typically gave him higher risk jobs. Vaughn could understand, love was a bond that could make typically sane logical men do crazy things. This certainly qualified as crazy. Vaughn hoped his presense in Zephyr Town was more accepted than it was in Konohana.

"Well hello stranger!"a large man greeted. "Welcome to Zephyr Town. Did you come for our famous Bazaar?"

"Yes," Vaughn lied.

"Well then, let me bring you over there. Name's Felix," he replied.

"Mark," Vaughn answered. He knew Mark would be none to happy knowing that Vaughn was using his name, but at least he wasn't giving any last names.

"Well then Mark, let's get you over to the Bazaar. Should just be starting. We got us a new girl farmer who's really improved the place." A new girl? That certainly sounded promising. He would have to go check out the bazaar and this new farmer.

* * *

_The room was stark white with only one bed. A faceless man came into the room with a tray of food. She cowered away from him._

_"Eat your food, we need you to be stong and healthy for Mr. Regison," the man stated. Instead of taking the tray, she tossed flipped it over. The man was angry now, he raised his hand and slapped her across her face. It stung, but she felt some satisfaction at the small act of defiance._

Rachel froze. She wasn't sure where that memory came from. She was struggling to hold onto the memory that had flashed through her brain. The harder she tried to remember more details, the more fuzzy the memory became. She tried to relax herself but she couldn't. She knew that the man in her memory was someone she should fear. She now had a name. Mr Regison. She needed to find out more about this Mr Regison. If she only knew a first name. But at least this was a start.

Later Rachel walked to Dunhill's house. His house held a small library with a few computers.

"Hello my dear, how are you adjusting to farm work?" Dunhill asked.

"It's great," Rachel replied. "May I use one of your computers?"

"Of course you may,"Dunhill said. He guided her to the small room where he kept them. Rachel thanked him, then he left her alone to her research. She wasn't sure where to start. For some reason it felt very familiar for her to be at the computer like this. She typed in the name Regison. The main thing that came back was something called Maion Corporation. A chill went through Rachel's body. Her hand froze above the mouse. She was afraid to click on any of the links about Maion. It's dark blue logo showing up on the web search almost paralized her with fear. What about this corporation made her so terrified? Slowly Rachel forced herself to open the first link. A bright page with pictures of smiling people popped up. A man in an impeccable white suit with bright blonde hair was shown in the center. Underneath his picture read "Will Regison III CEO"

Rachel was certain she had never met this man before, but she had heard his name. It had come clearly through in her memory. She stared at his picture. In a classic sense he was a very handsome man, but something about his smile made Rachel's stomach turn.

"Will Regison," Rachel said aloud. The name sounded more ominous as she said it aloud. There was something chilling about it. As she studied his picture more she noticed that his smile didn't reach his eyes. She couldn't help but feel afraid of him. Rachel quickly scrolled down so his picture no longer showed on the immersed herself in reading more about this corporation.

* * *

Gwen sat at her desk looking at the report. Vaughn was looking for something, or someone. He had moved from Flowerbud to Konohana. There had been a report made about a strange man named "Mark" asking strange questions in the small twin Towns area. If Maion Corporation was looking for someone, Gwen had no doubt in her mind it was due to illegal human testing. It was time to call in some reinforcements.


	10. Chapter 10

**If you've read my Agent and Farmer story, the scene with Gwen is a reference to ****that fiction :)**

* * *

Rachel stood in the doorway of the small room in Dunhill's house. She wanted to talk to him, but wasn't sure how to even start what she wanted to say. Most people would think she's crazy. Rachel often wondered herself if she was. After reading about Maion Corporation, her head hurt. The corporation seemed to be in some hot water over illegal human testing. She wondered if she could have been one of those test subjects?

"Did you find what you needed?" Dunhill asked.

"Kind of," Rachel stated. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure thing," Dunhill replied.

"I think I remember some stuff. But I'm still not sure who I am, but I think I'm in danger," Rachel confessed. Dunhill didn't look as surprised as she thought he would by her admission.

"Why do you think that?" Dunhill asked.

"Call it a hunch," Rachel replied.

"Okay well if that's the case, we better find out who you are," Dunhill stated.

"No story!" Rachel insisted. "I don't want this public!"

"That's not what I meant," Dunhill assured. Rachel relaxed a bit. It was nice having someone know about her fears, even if she hadn't told him very many details.

Dunhill instantly went into the room to check the search history on his computer. He knew Rachel was holding back something from him. To his surprise, Rachel had deleted all her search history. He couldn't help but wonder if Tina's hunch was right.

"Now don't go thinking that old man," Dunhill scolded himself. "If she is in danger than she needs this town's help."

* * *

Agent Jack Barnett strode into Gwen's office confidently. Jack was one of the few federal agents Gwen trusted. She sighed with relief. She could tell when a case was going beyond her pay grade, and this case was certainly turning into something big.

"What's up Winters?" Jack asked. He casually leaned against her desk. Gwen smirked. Jack was accustomed to women falling all over him. Gwen was never one of those women. They had worked together a few times in the city. Her failing to fall all over Jack, was what made their friendship so strong.

"So I hear your agency has some craziness going on," Gwen replied.

"Yeah well you know. My boss was fired from the Undercover Unit, he was apparently running some huge drug business on Flowerbud Island, and then the director's daughter quit. I didn't even know the director's daughter worked for the agency."

"Wow," Gwen stated. "I couldn't imagine finding out that my superior was committing some crime."

"More than just drugs, he also murdered some associates," Jack replied.

"Wow, no wonder the agency has been on lockdown lately," Gwen said.

"Yup, I was ready to get out for a bit, so tell me. Whatchya got?" Jack asked.

"I got a possible case here, dealing with Maion Corporation," Gwen replied. She knew Jack would be more than interested. Jack had been trying to catch Will Regison III for years. Nothing that he ever found stuck.

"Now you've got my interest," Jack replied.

"Remember Vaughn?" Gwen asked. Jack's scowl answered the question clearly for her.

"Maion's new hired hand?" Jack asked.

"Oh you know about that?" Gwen asked.

"It's my job to know these things," Jack stated. "So, word is that he's gone off the radar."

"He was here in Flowerbud last week. From local reports he was just in Konohana. He's going by the name Mark," Gwen informed. Jack looked excited. It was obvious that Jack had no idea where Vaughn had slipped off to.

"What's he doing?" Jack asked.

"Looking for someone," Gwen stated.

"Do you think he'll be back here?"

"I'm sure of it," Gwen asserted.

"Well looks like I'll be staying here for a while," Jack replied. "I'll need a cover."

"How do you feel bout farming?" Gwen asked with a smirk. She knew that his last long undercover assignment had been as a farmer. Jack scowled at her. "Just kidding, be a wandering vagabond looking for a job. Of course you're going to have to get out of that suit. My friend Lyla is looking for done help. She runs a seed shop."

"I guess that's better than farming," Jack mused. Gwen laughed.

* * *

Vaughn looked at the new farmer in Zephyr Town. She was quite tall and sturdy. The girl introduced herself as Anita. This was not the girl he was looking for.

"You going to buy anything handsome?" Anita asked him with a wink. Vaughn put on his best smile. The woman really was quite homely looking.

"What's this sell for?" He asked, picking up a small jug of milk.

"What will you give me for it cutie pie? A kiss perhaps?" Anita asked. Vaughn his his revulsion and merely smiled at the woman.

"Those I don't give out so easily," Vaughn replied.

"Tell ya what, this one's on the house handsome. I do hope you come to our Bazaar again," Anita cooed. Vaughn thanked the farmer and went on his way. He needed to regroup with Alex back in Flowerbud, to see what he had found looking through local papers. Vaughn was sick of running into dead ends, and time was running out.


	11. Chapter 11

**So this is turning more into a crossover story than I intended, but I hope you like it! I like the way it's turning :)**

* * *

Lyla Pennitown was a hopeless romantic. She adored romance novels and movies, and she would fantasize about her perfect man who would one day stroll into her seed shop and wisk her off her feet. She knew that such fantasies were highly unrealistic, but she still had them anyway. She was a soft spoken woman with long flowing pink locks with beautiful eyes the color of coral. While she knew there were a few men in town who would have readily been willing to fill the role of being with her, she was not interested in any of them. Lyls sighed. As she rang up another customer. Her life had become something of a mundane existence of transaction after transaction. She needed help, but finding an employee was hard. She heard the jingle of the bells and lifted her head. There was always that hope that the jingle might indicate her dream man was walking through that door. Instead she saw the smiling face of Gwen. Lyla smiled sweetly. Gwen was her best friend, she was so happy to have her back in Flowerbud. Behind Gwen, a man entered wearing a baggy pair of jeans and an old tattered shirt.

"Still looking for help?" Gwen asked.

"Yes," Kyla replied.

"I think I've got your man," Gwen stated. "This is Jack. He's been going from town to town looking for work." Lyla took a look at the man. Even through his tattered clothing she could see the faint outlines of muscle. His face didn't look like the typical wanderer or vagabond. There was still an elegance about him. She wondered what had happened to make him so down on his luck.

"Of course, I'd love to hire him," Lyla replied. She smiled sweetly at the man introduced as Jack. He was certainly handsome.

"Thank you kindly ma'am," Jack said.

"Please call me Lyla," she said. Jack smiled carefully back at her. He could see clearly that this woman had found him attractive. He was not here to have any type of relationship. He would have to be careful, Lyla was one of those particularly delicately beautiful women. He would have to be careful. Women in small towns were not looking for flings, they were looking for husbands. Jack was certainly not the marrying type.

"Well I'll let you two get acquainted," Gwen replied. She shot Jack a look of warning. He read it loud and clear. He smiled back in return.

* * *

Doctor Klaus Sorenson was an ornery old man who disliked people, but loved medicine. He loved gaining more knowledge and learning. He had worked at a large hospital for a few years, which had been wonderful. He had been let go because of his lack of "bedside manner." Klaus fumed when thinking of such things. He had been one of the more brilliant doctors there, and they had let him go. He had been reduced to opening a practice here in the small Echo Town, which was far beneath him.

The door opened, he sighed wondering what minor ailment he was going to have to take care of today. He turned to see Tina, the town's journalist.

"Good morning Dr. Klaus,"' Tina said cheerily. She walked up to the counter. "I was wondering what you can tell me about the new girl."

"What?" Klaus asked shortly.

"I'm interested in doing a story about the new girl, "Tina advised. "I was wondering if there was any information about her that you could shed some light on for me. "Klaus looked at Tina with a scowl on his face. As much as he disliked people, he disliked nosy people even less.

"Why don't you go straight to the source? "Klaus asked.

"I've already tried that, "Tina informed. "She won't tell me a thing. But I don't have a bad feeling about her. I think she's hiding something. I want to find out what it is."

"Everybody's hiding something," the doctor replied. "Why don't you just let this drop. Clearly she doesn't want an article written about her. If she's not willing to give you the information, neither am I." It was no loyalty that he felt to Rachel that caused him to react in such a way, rather then his annoyance with the journalist for not respecting someone else's privacy. He himself was a private man. Who did not share a lot of information about his life before coming to Echo Town. He knew that people kept secrets for a reason. And even if those secrets made somebody suspicious, there were always reasons behind them.

Tina felt frustrated. She was getting nowhere. This was possibly a story of a lifetime. This was the type of story that did not come around very often here in this little town. This was the type of story that could possibly get her recognized, and no one seemed to be cooperating with her. Every turn she took she would hit another dead end. But Tina had a determination in her that most people did not. While many would have given up at this dead end, Tina was determined to press further. Tina had not accomplished all she had done and her young life by being a pushover. Tina would get her story

* * *

Rachel wondered if talking to Dunhill had been a good idea or not. She had always felt a sense of danger, ever since she had woken up in the middle of Echo Town square. She didn't know whether or not she could fully trust Dunhill, but she needed someone who would be on her side. The most frustrating part was, she didn't even know what that meant. What did it mean to be on Rachel side? What was this thing that she feared so much, but could not remember?

If she could remember what she needed to, perhaps she could keep herself safe, along with everybody else in this village. Rachel wondered if she should leave for the safety of this community. But then where would she go? She did not know what she had gotten herself into the prior to arriving to this town. And she did not know what would happen once she figured it out. She also knew that the nosy journalist was still poking around. Tina was trying to find out more about Rachel and her past. Rachel laughed when she thought of this, for Rachel herself was doing the same thing. It's was quite ironic, that Tina wanted to know about her past, and Rachel would have given anything to be able to tell her.

Then, there was Sanjay. He was an incredibly handsome man, who seemed to be giving her attention. Rachel wasn't sure if he was always the gentleman, or if there was some interest. It seemed almost absurd to her, that there would be interest in her considering that she was a mere girl who had no memory. He was a man in the employment of a rich prince. Sanjay himself seemed to have an air of royalty to him. Yes, he was a servant, but he wasn't a common servant. There was something different about his mannerisms. Rachel also struggled with her attraction to him because of her lack of memory. She hated to think that perhaps there was a family she had left behind. Perhaps there was someone out there who loved her, and was waiting for her return Rachel could not just allowing her feelings for Sanjay to develop when she didn't know these answers.

"I wish I could remember, "Rachel said to no one. She was standing near a beautiful spring in the mountains. It was a spring that she often loved to come to. Rachel couldn't describe exactly why she loved the spring, but there was something almost spiritual about the place. Rachel heard a soft whisper that seems to rustle through the leaves of the trees surrounding the spring. "Look inside your heart,

" Was what she heard. Rachel looked around, to see if anyone was standing near her. Perhaps she was losing her mind? Perhaps the nights of little sleep with horrifying nightmares was finally catching up to her. No one was around her she stood alone. So who could it have been, that had whispered her that answer? She started to walk away, when she heard a commotion behind her she whirled around, to see a beautiful lady emerging from the water. She had green hair, and a flowing dress. Light glowed around her. Rachel had never seen anything or anyone so beautiful in her life before. Once again Rachel wondered if she were hallucinating. Then the beautiful figure from the water start speaking.

"My child, "the figure replied. "I am the Harvest Goddess. It is not with in my power to interfere with human interaction, but I need to warn you. My child I cannot tell you more than this, but the danger you feel, is real. Trust no one, outside of the villagers of this town please heed my warning my sweet child."With that said, the figures slowly descended back into the water.

"Wait! "Rachel shouted. "Please tell me more! "The figure shook her head and fully descended below the water. Rachel stood, wondering what had just happened. Who was this harvest Goddess? She needed answers. She walked back to Echo Town, wondering who it was she should ask about this mysterious goddess of the spring.

* * *

Incompetency was never something that Vaughn had taken lightly. Incompetency angered him. Vaughn was a professional. He was someone who got things done, in any means necessary. His boss, the one person that Vaughn had actually ever considered his friend, needed this project to succeed. And now because of the incompetency of the small-town idiots the project was failing, the girl missing. Vaughn was determined, that after this matter was settled, those small-town idiots would pay.

Leaving Zephyr town, had been more difficult than Vaughn had anticipated. Anita that farmer has taken quite a shine to him. And she had followed him around like a little puppy for most of the day. He couldn't leave the town with her following him. He had to wait until the nighttime to sneak out of the in but he was staying in. Of course he left enough money and then some to the innkeeper, but he needed to be on his way. Whereever the girl had gone, she was keeping herself well hidden. Such idiots! He thought why had Will even hired using competent fools? He knew that will was a desperate man. He knew that will have been grasping at straws when he had found the small-town doctor. His friend needed this and Vaughn was determined not to let him down.

The doctor did not seem to pleased to see Vaughn back in the Sanatorium, a fact which Vaughn decided to make work to his advantage. This doctor needed to feel the discomfort that Will must be feeling at this moment. It had been his fault in the first place..

"Have you found anything?" Vaughn asked roughly.

"Nothing unusual has been reported in any of these papers, "Alex answered him. Vaughn could hear the nervousness in the doctor's voice. He stepped closer to the doctor until they were inches apart. Vaughn said nothing. He simply stood hovering over the doctor, enjoying the look of fear that crossed the doctor's face.

"Then you better start looking harder," Vaughn advised.

Alex turned away from Vaughn. How he hated this man. He hated everything that was happening. Vaughn was the type of man that one didn't mess with. Alex knew Vaughn was not past hurting someone else to get to Alex. He thought of all the people in this town, there were many that he held very dear to him. He would need to make sure, that Vaughn did nothing to hurt him or anyone else in the town. They needed to find the girl so he could finally be rid of the wretched man standing behind him.


	12. Chapter 12

**Now you know who / what Rachel is. Wasn't going to reveal this early, but it felt right with the flow. **

* * *

Rachel wasn't sure what to think of her encounter in the mountain. A part of her still wondered if she'd been hallucinating. The figure had warned her against trusting any outsiders. Why would she have imagined something like that? As crazy as it seemed, Rachel felt as if this had been a real encounter. She sighed. She wasn't sure what was real and what was fake anymore. She was having flashbacks of memories which she could not be certain of their authenticity. Rachel wondered who she really was. Perhaps she was an escaped mental patient? Most of her "memories" had included her being tested on. It would certainly explain her seeing the harvest goddess. Then again, would a person who had been in a mental institution really have such logical thoughts? Her head hurt just thinking about it. It was terrifying in it's own right to have no recollection of the past. Something in her urged her to keep searching for tried as hard as she could to hold on to the glimpses of memories that would go through her mind so fleetingly. It hurt her mind at times to think about.

Rachel decided after the occurance with the Harvest Goddess, it was time to go home. She needed to rest her mind for a bit. When she appeared in the farmyard she saw Tina talking to Henry. He looked rather displeased at the converstaion. Rachel was sure that Tina was asking Henry questions about her. For some unknown reason that journalist had a determination to get Rachel's story out there. Henry waved Rachel over to where they were standing. She could hear Henry clearly speaking with Tina at this point.

"Look if you want to know about her, why don't you ask her yourself?" Henry asked. It was evident by the tone in his voice that he was annoyed with the conversation that he was having with the young journalist. Tina turned to look at Rachel with a scowl planted on her face. Rachel looked stoically back at the girl. She was not going to give into any emotions that she might feel for this girl.

"I don't trust you," Tina stated. She stood close to Rachel. Tina was a good three or four inches taller, so she was looking down in Rachel's face. "I am going to find out what it is you are hiding!"

"Why can't you accept that maybe I am not hiding anything at all?" Rachel asked.

"I will figure it out," Tina replied, ignoring Rachel's comment.

"You know I think you've asked enough questions, I would like you to get off my property now," Henry interjected. He stood between Tina and Rachel.

Henry felt no loyalty to Rachel, but he knew that Felicity did. He loved his wife so dearly and would do anything for her. Felicity would not stand for Tina insulting Rachel in such a manor on their property.

Rachel was once again surprised by this act of kindness by her employer. She took the opportunity to stand behind him. She was still a bit frazzled from her encounter in the mountains, and to come home to Tina threatening her, was not something she could handle at this moment.

"I will still run this story!" Tina shouted. "None of you can stop me!" At that moment Felicity came out of the house. She looked quite upset at all the yelling going on in her yard.

"Just what is happening?" Felicity asked. Tina turned to Felicity, at one point they had been really good friends. She could only hope that her friendship with Felicity was enough to gain her access to what she needed.

"I just got kicked off your farm! That's what happened!" Tina exclaimed.

"Now just one minute!" Henry exploded. If there was one thing he could not stand it was people who told half truths to make themselves look better. "I kicked her off because of the way she was treating Rachel!" Felicity looked bewildered. She did not know what to think about the situation that she had stumbled into. She wanted to believe the best in everyone. Would Tina really be rude to someone? Felicity turned instead to Rachel.

"What happened?" She asked. Rachel lifted her head. She had not expected to be a part of this conversation any longer.

"I came back to the farm and Tina was asking about me, Henry was standing up for me, Tina told me she was going to get my story one way or the other. The thing that she doesn't understand is that there is a reason why I don't want my story out there!" Rachel burst out. She was angry with Tina for being so persistant.

"Hello you don't have to talk like I'm not standing right here!" Tina shouted waving her arms back and forth. The sarcasm in her voice was thick. "Why are you so intent on hiding? What are you hiding?"

"Tina," Felicity interjected. "How do you know she is hiding something?"

"How can you all be so naive?" Tina asked. "Whatever! I will get my story!" She stormed off the farm. Rachel sighed. She was grateful for her employers for standing up for her, but she was running out of time. Clearly Tina was going to post her story, then it would be out there. She needed to remember before the story hit the public.

* * *

Small Town America, every country song immortalized it to a level near heaven. To Vaugn it was his own brand of hell. Small towns were full of nosy people who were always in everyone's business. Gossip ran rampant, and nothing was ever kept a secret. He only hoped that if the girl was close, that fact would be her undoing. It was the doctor's fault in the first place.

Vaughn closed his eyes. He thought of the reason behind all of this. His beautiful sister, Chelsea Rachel Regison. Chelsea, his baby sister, had fallen in love for his best friend. It was the oldest, most cliche story ever, but Vaughn would have done anything for her happiness, and for Will's. When Chelsea had fallen ill it had been devastating. She was experiencing multiple organ failure with no cure. She needed multiple transplants, but getting those were difficult. She'd been given five years to live four years ago.

When Will had presented the idea to him, Vaughn had thought he was crazy, but as Will provided more and more information, He was able to convince Vaughn that it was the best way to be able to save his little sister. Will had heard of a doctor in who had experimented in replication of living organisms such as animals. He had never tested this on humans. The replication had been banned and the doctor had disappeared, but Will used his resources to find the Doctor hiding out, licking his wounds in Flowerbud.

When Will had proposed that to Doctor Martin, that he try his replication on a human, He had been more than happy offer up his lab. Will had the unlimited resources needed to fund such a project, even if it was highly illegal. "Project Rachel" as they'd called it was well underway. But the stupid doctor had wanted to do more than just replicate. He wanted to see if he could teach the girl things. So in the time it took her to stabilize and have all the tests done to insure Chelsea would be safe accepting organs and other such needed material from her, the girl had learned to talk, walk, and become a whiz at computers. Then she'd escaped. For two years they waited for the girl to stabilize, and those idiots who guarded her had allowed her to escape! And now Chelsea only had a year at best!

"Damn it!" Vaughn shouted slamming his fist against the table. Alex looked up from his paperwork. Gina his nurse stood with her mouth agape, staring at Vaughn. She was not accustomed to such language. Martha the old receptionist glowered at Vaughn.

"Young man I'll have none of that language in here," Martha chastised.

"Sorry ma'am," Vaughn muttered. He was a lot of things, but his grandmother had always taught him to respect his elders "I was just thinking bout something. I suppose it'd be a good idea to go outside for a walk and cook off some."

"I quite agree with that," Martha replied with a beaming smile. Vaughn tipped his hat and left.

* * *

Don't look at Jack, Lyla thought to herself. It was quite impossible not to stare at him. She liked watching as he moved easily around her shop. He was not quite the person that she pictured to be in her employ, but he would do. Now he was the type she'd always daydreamed about. The bells on her door jangled and in walked Louis the inventor. He was such a sweet man in his lab coat and thick rimmed black glasses. Lyla dearly loved him, but as a friend. Unfortunately, he was madly in love with Lyla.

"Hi Lyla," Louis stated. "I'm here to check your seed combiner. How's it working?" Lyla blushed. With Jack being in the store she hadn't even used it. He had brought her over a new seed combiner just last week. He was always bringing her some sort of gadget to make her life easier. She often felt bad taking them, but when she once tried to refuse, he had almost cried. So Lyla accepted them and allowed him his pick of any flowers in her shop.

"To be honest Louis I haven't even used it yet. I've been so busy with my new help around. Jack this is my friend Louis!" Lyla called.

Jack sized up Louis very quickly. He was a brainy, intellectual, nerdy type. He could easily see that the poor man was in love with Lyla, who had very sternly put him in the friend zone. Not that he blamed the man, Lyla was gorgeous. Louis' glare seemed to bore holes through Jack. It was clear that Louis did not like the fact that another man was around Lyla.

"Nice to meet you, Lou," Jack replied. Sticking his hand out.

"It's Lou-is!" Louis stated carefully pronouncing both syllables. He reluctantly grabbed Jack's hand in return.

"My apologies," Jack said. He couldn't help it. This man was to easy to rustle. "Well Lyla, I should be getting back to work." He winked at the pink haired lady, who blushed in return. Louis continued to glare even as Jack's back was turned to him. Jack couldn't help but let out a small chuckle under his breath. These innocent games were what broke up the monotony of undercover.

Gwen rubbed her temples Jack had brought her stacks of paperwork on Maion. So many stories and rumors, yet no actual proof of allegations. She found his last report most interesting. Will Regison was working on something called the "Rachel Project." Nothing else was known about the project. Maion dealt with pharmaceuticals, but often would test on human subjects too soon and without authorization. Fines had been given, but nothing else. It infuriated her to think about the poor victims of this corporation.

Then there was the recent information about Doctor Alex Martin. She had done an intense background check into him. He had changed his name from Doctor Trent Schuster just before coming out to Flowerbud. What was even more intriguing was his history. He had worked on genetics altering and animal replication. He had only dealt with small lab animals, but had started making great strides, until it got banned for inhumane treatment of the replicated specimen. At the time he'd been pushing for replication of human organs, and possibly even humans. But after the ban on animals, all talk of human replication had stopped.

Gwen wondered if perhaps he was back at his old tricks? A horrifying thought crossed Gwen's mind. What if he were actually replicating humans? She needed to bring it up in her debriefing with Jack. Maybe she was just thinking crazy, but her gut told her that she wasn't far off the mark.


	13. Chapter 13

**A little glimpse into Will's life, and my tske on the heart event. **

* * *

Summer faded away, and it beautiful colors burst through the leaves. Rachel found Autumn in Echo Town enchanting. Everything had it's own beauty. The air was less sweltering, and it was much easier to get the animals to cooperate with her. She still struggled with her memories. They haunted her at times. She found herself drawn to the mansion in the afternoons. She loved the topiary gardens and how green they looked against the bright colors of Autumn. There was also a certain servant that she enjoyed seeing.

"Nice to see you again Miss Rachel,"'Sanjay greeted. Rachel smiled at the greeting. Sanjay was always the perfect gentleman.

"I hope I'm not intruding," Rachel replied. "I know this is the third time this week, but..." She looked down at the ground.

"Not at all, we always love visitors. These gardens are too beautiful not to share with others," Sanjay said. "However today Amir is away."

"Oh well, does that mean I have to go?" Rachel asked.

"Not at all," Sanjay assured. Sanjay looked at the nervous girl standing in front of him. It was quite adorable when she blushed. He looked forward to swing Rachel, and was glad she was finally coming around more often, even if it were just to look at the gardens. "Would you like to join me for some tea?"

"I-I'd like that a lot," Rachel stammered. He held his hand out to her. Shyly Rachel accepted it. Once again feeling a jolt when they touched.

"So you really don't remember your past?" Sanjay asked.

"Not at all," Rachel answered. "To tell you the truth it's terrifying."

"I imagine it is," Sanjay replied. "Well I certainly hope, for my sake, there is no husband or significant other waiting for you to remember them." Rachel blushed. While there had always been light flirtation, he had never before been so direct with her.

"Me too," Rachel said with a shy smile. Something about Sanjay made her feel safe. She could almost forget for a moment all the haunting memories, and the dread of remembering. Sanjay led her into the house. Rachel had never seen a place so beautiful in her life before. The floor was lined with white sparkling marble there was luscious blue and purple rugs laying regally across them. In the middle of the large entrance area there was a white marble fountain flanked by two large staircases. Gorgeous paintings hung on the walls, and white furniture was lined against the walls. Rachel felt like she was vastly underdressed to be in such a beautiful place. Thankfully she'd thrown on clean clothes before coming here.

"Come with me, the kitchen is in the back here." He led her to the doorway directly across from them. Rachel watched every step, worried to leave behind traces of dirt.

"How do you not worry about making things dirty?" Rachel asked.

"Ah that," Sanjay said. "We have the most wonderful maids here. The head maid Yolanda is quite good at making sure this place stays clean. I must admit I'm bad at it. I trek in here some days all dusty after working with my alpacas." Rachel giggled at the thought. She had not imagined a man such as he would leave a mess. Sanjay walked over to the stove and placed a beautiful ornate teapot on the stove. She say down on one of the lush stools next to an island counter.

"Thank you so much for inviting me to tea," Rachel said. She was not sure what else to say. In truth she felt awkward. She wasn't really sure how one was supposed to act in a setting as formal as this one.

"You're very welcome," Sanjay replied.

"This is a very lovely home," Rachel quipped.

"You can relax," Sanjay assured. The poor girl looked like she was going up jump out of her skin. He recognized the look of intimidation. Many people felt intimidated in these surroundings.

"Sorry. I've just never been anywhere so fancy before. Well at least not that I can remember. I mean this is a really fancy place," Rachel rambled. Instantly she covered her mouth with her hands. How silly he must think she is. To her surprise Sanjay smiled. It was a stunning and dazzling smile.

"There we go, now that is the real you. Is it not?" Sanjay chuckled. Rachel felt the heat in her cheeks rising again. Sanjay simply smirked. He was going to enjoy this afternoon's tea immensely. 

* * *

The smell of cheesecake wafted through Heartful Lyla. Jack found his mouth watering. He hadn't had this much home cooking in his life ever. Jack's mother had been less worried about being a homemaker and more interested in partying. His father had attempted to fill in the gaps, but was only good at making macaroni and ramen noodles. Usually had been fast food or take out. Jack had continued that into his later years. On his assigner undercover as a farmer he'd learned to make simple dishes, but nothing to the caliber that Lyla made it.

Sweet little pink haired Lyla had such a crush on him. Jack knew with each passing day it was growing. He'd seen the romance novels she read. The kind with a shirtless hero on the cover. Lyla would look at him starry eyed as if he were one of those heroes. Jack knew he was no one's Romeo. He was the love em and leave em type. With a woman as beautiful as Lyls, normally he would have been all for a little fling. But even he knew that was not what Lyla was looking for. Lyla wanted to play for keeps. So instead he entertained himself with her innocent blushes, and cute attempts at flirtation.

"I've made some cheesecake," Lyla called over to Jack. "Why don't you take a break and join me?"

"I think I might just do that," Jack replied. He walked up to the counter of the store. She held up a piece of cheesecake on a plate. Even her plates were decorated with small pink hearts. Lyla took a bite of the cheesecake, Jack followed suit. He'd never tasted anything as good as this cheesecake in his entire life.

"This is incredible!" Jack praised. Lyla smiled feeling pleased with herself. Her mama had always said to win a mans heart you have to win over his stomach. Jack noticed a small smudge of cream cheese on her cheek.

""You've got something here,"  
Jack said, pointing to the corresponding spot on his cheek.

"Oh!" Lyla gasped. She picked up her napkin and began wiping her cheek. She managed to hit every spot but the spot with food on it.

"Here," Jack said. "Let me." He gently took the napkin and wiped her face. She sat motionless staring into his eyes. Jack felt the magnetic pull of an attractive woman wanting to be kissed. He slowly inched his face forward. In his mind he knew this was a bad idea, but for some unknown reason was powerless to stop it. Thankfully at that moment the bells on the door jangled. Jack quickly jumped back. He had never been so relieved to see a customer than he had been at that moment.

"Welcome to Heartful Lyla," she greeted as cheerily as she could. For Lyla the interruption had been a disappointment. She only hoped that little scene would play out to it's finish soon. 

* * *

The curtains were drawn just the way Chelsea needed them to be. In the afternoons she'd often get raging migraines. As she lay bedridden, she knew her time was coming to an end. She'd accepted it, Will had not. He sat by her bedside now. He always felt guilty when he'd have to leave her. Chelsea didn't mind. She'd loved him, and that had been enough for her.

"We're working on finding a solution baby," Will said. "We will find it if we have to search to the ends of this earth."

"Will," Chelsea said meekly. "You don't have to bother yourself with all of this."

"Hush now," Will soothed. "Don't you worry yourself about this. Get done rest. I'll be up later for dinner." Will left the room of the woman he loved. He would do anything for her. He checked his cell phone. No news from Vaughn. His anger boiled over. Doctor Martin and his associates would pay if they didn't find the girl soon. 

* * *

It was a rare occurrence for Kurt's brother Joe to visit Gwen during office hours. While Joe was the more outgoing of the two, he usually stayed far away from Gwen. Joe was a bit of a trouble maker, so ever since she became the sheriff of the town he had stayed away from her. So when Joe came into Gwen's office in the middle of the afternoon, her mind instantly flew to something wrong with Kurt.  
"Can I talk to you about something?" Joe asked.

"Of course," Gwen replied. Gwen considered Joe as family. Even if he didn't always follow the rules, she still considered him a part of the family.

"I am concerned about Kurt," Joe replied. Gwen lifted her eyebrow in curiosity. "I don't know what he has gotten himself into, but whatever it is, I think it's is sneaking out of the house at night and spending big chunks of the work day away from work. I know it's not just you he's coming to see. Especially at night. I've seen him sneak into your room, but these days he's actually sneaking out of the house. He seems panicked all the time these days."

"What makes you think he's gotten into something bad?" Gwen asked.

"Because he won't even tell me. He always tells me," Joe informed.

"I can look into it," Gwen replied.

Thanks," Joe sighed. Gwen couldnt' help but worry about her lover. Most girls who had heard this information would have assumed their lover had found another woman, but Gwen was not worried about that. What worried her was the fact that Joe was worried about his brother. Joe worried about very little in life. Gwen sighed, She didn't need this on top of everything else she was working on.


	14. Chapter 14

**Some Jack backstory, and a bit of violence. More Romance to come!**

* * *

Tina sat at her keyboard with her hands hovering over the keyboard. She had all but typed the story about Rachel. It was quite possibly one of the best stories she had ever written in her entire life. She knew that no one in Echo Town would appreciate her work, but such was a life of a journalist. Everyone seemed to be on Rachel's side. She finished typing the last words, when she heard a knock on her door. She quickly made sure she saved the document and then answered the door. The girl in question stood at her door.

"Finally decided to come clean?" Tina asked. A look of anger flashed over Rachel's face which was quickly replaced with a look of forced calm.

"There's nothing to come clean about," Rachel insisted. "I've come to ask that you hold off on any article you may be considering printing about me." Tina crossed her arms across her chest. She saw no reason why she should listen to this girl.

"Tell me why I should?" Tina asked.

"Can I come in for a moment?" Rachel asked. Tina was not sure whether or not she trusted being in a confined space with this girl. If she was dangerous, something could happen to her.

"I guess," Tina replied hesitantly. She allowed Rachel to enter her house.

"I know you don't trust me," Rachel started. "Honestly if I were in your shoes I wouldn't trust me either." Tina regarded the girl carefully.

"You are right about that," Tina replied. "I'm not like everyone else in this town that you've managed to pull the wool over their eyes."

Rachel sighed. She had to remind herself that Tina did not know the situation she was in. While was frustrating that Tina always thought the worst of her, she hoped by the end of the conversation that Tina would be able to see through her prejudice and understand the situation Rachel was in.

"Look," Rachel replied trying to stay calm. "I am not pulling the wool over anyone's eyes. I really have no memory of who I am."

"So what are you not telling me then?" Tina asked.

"That's the thing, I don't know," Rachel said. "Actually I was hoping we could help each other out. All I know is that I have something to do with a company called Maion Corporation." Tina was suddenly interested in the conversation. Maion Corporation had been the press several times in the past years, something like this could put her on the map as a journalist.

"Ok so now you have my interest," Tina replied.

"See I need to find out more information about this corporation. I think I am in some kind of trouble. I assure you, that if I have done anything wrong or criminal that I can remember, I will turn myself in. However, I don't feel like I have done something wrong. If you help me find out what I am involved in, I will cooperate with you when it comes time for you to write your story. However, if you publish this story before we figure this out, I won't tell you a thing."

"How do I know you're not lying to me right now?" Tina asked. "How do I know that you are not just biding your time for an escape?"

"You don't know," Rachel replied. "I understand that this takes a lot of trust from you. But what you need to understand, is that it is also taking a lot of trust from me. I need to know that you're going to accept this deal. Because after that i'm going to tell you everything that I know." Tina once again considered the options. She could publish the story she had right now that would not have the full information. At best people in town would ignore it. The story she wrote probably wouldn't get picked up anywhere else. Or she could wait, and possibly snag the story of her life.

"You have a deal," Tina replied. She held out her hand to Rachel.

"I need your word that you will not publish anything until I say it is okay," Rachel replied. "Understand that I am putting a lot of trust in your word."

"You have my word," Tina replied. Rachel shook Tina's hand.

"Let me tell you what I know," Rachel stated.

* * *

Jack stared at Gwen in surprise. He heard about Doctor Schuster and his replication fiasco, but had not realized that the doctor had changed his name and moved to Flowerbud. It shocked him realizing that this could be the break they needed to bring Maion Corporation down. Replication of humans had been strictly forbidden, in fact, replication of any have been prohibited. If Maion was involved in human replication, that would be it. He could finally get something to stick to Will Regison.

"This is only a hunch," Gwen replied, after see the excited look on Jack's face. "We still have a lot of work to do to prove it."

"I'm okay with that," Jack replied."I'm willing to do what it takes to bring him down." Gwen looked at Jack curiously. This sounded more personal than just a mere closing of the case.

"What's really going on between you and Will?" When asked.

"Nothing," Jack replied. "I've just been trying to get him for years." Gwen looked at him dubiously. She didn't believe that there wasn't a more personal touch to this case.

"The one thing that always liked about you Jack that you're always a straight shooter. You've always been honest and upfront. Why start lying now?" Gwen asked. From the look Jack gave her, she knew she gotten her point across.

"So maybe there is something personal for me here," Jack replied.

"Care to share with me?" Gwen asked. When Jack remained silent she the shook her head. "Jack it's me, you know that I can keep a secret. I just want to make sure that there is nothing here that is going to jeopardize this case."

"Will Regison is a bastard." Jack stated simply.

"Well yeah," Gwen chuckled.

"I don't think you understand," Jack said. "Will Regison was in the same class in high school as my little sister."Jack paused. The topic of his little sister was always a hard one to bring up.

"I didn't know you have a younger sister, "one stated.

"Had," Jack answered. "Will and his little rich buddies decided that they were going to pick on my sister. There was a group of seven or eight of them that teased her, taunted her and mocked her mercilessly. It was so bad, it was to the point where my sister grew depressed. She was a young beautiful teenager. She was the unexpected child and we all loved her. But Will and his friends broke her spirit. They broke her so badly, that one evening in the middle of her 10th grade year of high school, she swallowed an entire bottle of my mothers painkillers."Jack paused, the words or hard to get out. Tears welled in his eyes. Gwen gasped. She never knew that Jack carried around this pain with him.

"Oh my goodness!" Gwen gasped. "I'm so sorry Jack. I understand now. I promise you, that I will do what ever it takes to bring him down, if he is guilty." Jack looked at Gwen there was a new sense of camaraderie between the two of them. She understood. He told very few people that story.

"Do you have a photo of her? "Gwen asked.

"I carry one with me everywhere I go. It keeps me honest. Whenever I need a reminder to do the right thing I look at her picture," Jack replied. He pulled the old worn picture out if his wallet. A beautiful blonde haired girl was smiling happily in the photo. She looked so young and full of life. Gwen realized how tragic it must have been for Jack's family.

"She was beautiful," Gwen stated. "What was her name?"

"Lily," Jack replied, Gwen could hear the raw emotion in his voice.

"Well," Gwen stated. "If we're going to catch Will, we have a lot of work to do."

* * *

Vaughn arranged to have Kurt come meet him in the forest. Kurt was to be his warning to the other two idiots, that he was serious. The bumbling hicks had no idea who they were messing with. Vaughn waited patiently. Finally he saw a figure approaching him. The man looked unhappy to be coming out here for the impromptu meeting. Vaughn had purposefully chosen the meeting at night to intimidate the other man. These idiots needed to be taught a lesson, that he was serious.

"What is so important that you needed to have this meeting in the middle of the night?" Kurt mumbled.

"This," Vaughn replied. He sprung quickly into action. He quickly pulled the cord he had brought with him around the man's throat. Kurt struggled against him, but it was useless. Vaughn was much stronger.


	15. Chapter 15

**Some action to come soon :)**

* * *

Gwen struggled to maintain composure. It had only been a few days since Joe had come into her office worried about Kurt. Gwen had barely scratched the surface in investigating him, when he'd gone missing. No one has seen Kurt since the day before. Kurt would often go by himself off into the woods, but he'd always be back by morning. It was now well into the evening and still no sign of Kurt. Gwen was searching through the forest areas she knew he liked to go to. Kurt was no where in sight. She decided to retire for the evening, hoping beyond all hope that Kurt would show back up in the morning.

When she reached her tiny apartment, she saw that Lyla was waiting for her. Lyla was such a sweet soul always so thoughtful of other people. Gwen smiled she saw the bottle of wine into wine glasses and a basket that was presumably but filled with Lyla's homemade goodies.

"Thought you could use a little bit of distraction," Lyla stated.

"You know me so well," Gwen sighed. Very few people knew about her and Kurt, Lyla was one of them. But Gwen trusted Lyla with almost anything. They had been best friends since they were young.

"I take it you had no luck looking for him in the forest?" Lyla asked. Gwen shook her head. She was fraid of speaking, as she fought back the tears threatening to spell from her eyes. Lyla said nothing, wrapped an arm around Gwen's shoulder. "Well then, how about you and me have an old-fashioned girls night." Gwen he wasn't really in the mood for a girls night, but she could see that Lyla had painstakingly prepared everything so wonderfully. And she knew, that the distraction would be good for her.

"That sounds good to me," Gwen replied. Gwen unlocked the door, and both girls walked in together.

From the shadows, Vaugn watched the two women enter the sheriff's house. He hadn't expected such a reaction from the sheriff at Kurt's disappearance. Why was this woman so concerned about him? He wanted to be able to get closer, to see if you could overhear any of the conversation between the two women. But he knew better. In small towns like this, everybody always saw something. He didn't want to risk looking suspicious, especially in light of what had just happened. He turned around and made his way back to sanitorium to have a talk with Dr. Martin.

"Can you explain why your Sheriff is so interested in the disappearance of one of your goons?" Vaughn asked the doctor.

"Well, Kurt and his brother Joe grew up with Gwen, they lived with her and her grandfather. You managed to knock off the of the sheriff's family. If you wanted to teach us all lesson, you should've used Jamie." The doctor stated. Vaughn cursed.

"I thought you said he was a loner? "Vaughn asked.

"Well he is," Dr. Martin stated. "But that doesn't necessarily mean that people don't care about him." Alex was still frightened by Vaughn. He had killed Kurt and cold-blooded there was nothing stopping him from killing Alex. He knew the only reason why he was alive was because if and when they found the girl, he would need to examine her to make sure she was still stable.

"You've messed this up," Vaughn stated. He stared at Alex. "Don't even try to blame this on me. Remember we were both here in the Sanatorium last night remember to keep that story, and everything will be ok." Alex nodded. He would have loved nothing more than to expose Vaughn for who he was, but he knew that Vaughn's boss was powerful, and not one to mess with. 

* * *

Rachel felt better knowing the information Tina had told her about Maion Corporation. Tina had been buzzing with excitement with the prospect of the story of her life. Rachel had more information that she could have ever gathered on her own about Maion coporation. As she left the journalist's house she ran into Sanjay who was taking an evening stroll. Rachel felt a flutter in heart when she saw him. She felt a blush come across her cheeks when he smiled at her.

"Good evening beautiful," Sanjay greeted.

"Good evening," Rachel echoed. She felt awkward around him and wasn't sure how to react quite yet. These sort of interactions made her feel a bit odd. It was as if she were experiencing this type of thing for the first time in her life.

"What is a beautiful girl such as yourself doing out so late at night alone?" Sanjay asked.

"It's not that late is it?" Rachel asked.

"It's almost nine in the evening," Sanjay replied. Rachel was shocked. She had not realized that she stayed at Tina's so long.

"Oh goodness!" Rachel exclaimed. "I need to be getting home!"

"Let me walk you home dear lady," Sanjay insisted. "I would hate to see something happen to you being out so late."

"I am okay on my own," Rachel stated. Sanjay chuckled.

"Of course you are," Sanjay replied. "But I use any excuse I can to spend time with you." Rachel found herself blushing yet again. This man had the ability to make her feel like a school girl.

"oh," Rachel replied lamely. Her cheeks were warm with embarassment. She accepted his outstretched arm.

"So what were you doing out so late?" Sanjay inquired.

"I was just doing some research with Tina," Rachel replied.

"Research?" Sanjay asked.

"Yeah, I am trying to figure out who I am," Rachel stated.

"I cannot imagine what it would be like to have no memory," Sanjay said. "It must be terrifying for you." They continued to walk and chat about their respective days. Sanjay was unlike any other servant. He was more like royalty. she wondered about his past, but any time she had asked him about it, he would simpmly redirect her gently unto other subjects. She could understand wanting to have things hidden. She kept many things hidden from people.

When they arrived at her house, she had a feeling of dread in her stomach. She wasn't sure why it overcame her, but she couldn't help but think that something was horribly wrong.

"Have a good evening dear lady," Sanjay said. He gently placed a kiss on her cheek. Even that touching gesture didn't calm down the fear in the pit of her stomach. She did not want to enter her house, she felt the strongest urge to run. 

* * *

Jamie Woods had never before in his life done anything interesting. Most people did not notice him. In fact, many people confused him for a woman at times. So when he had been offered large amounts of money to watch over the "project" Doctor Martin was working on, he had jumped on it. Now Jamie feared for his life. Vaughn had sent a very clear message when he had in cold blood, killed Kurt, the other guard that had been hired. Jamie would admit, that it was his fault that the girl escaped in the first place. He had fallen in love with the girl almost instantly. She was beautiful, and so innocent. So when she had pleaded to get outside, he had readily agreed. Unfortunately for him, she had escaped his grasp and run away. Jamie who was a bit overweight and out of shape had not been able to keep up with the girl.

Now he was tasked with searching the surrounding towns to see if he could find her. Vaughn had attempted to do so, but he looked too much like an outsider. People in these parts did not trust people who looked like Vaughn. So Vaughn had told Jamie to take over in that task. Jamie knew part of the reason he was tasked to going out, is because Vaughn wanted to keep his eyes on Doctor Martin.

Jamie had left his farm several times over the past few weeks and no one had noticed. No one cared that he was missing for chunks of time. Even though he had attempted for years to integrate himself with the community, no one seemed to care about the lonely farmer. That frightened him even more, because he was even more disposable than Kurt was.

He finally reached a small town called Echo Town. He had been travelling for days. He checked into the small Inn hoping that this town would have some news. He was tired of travelling, tired of searching for the girl. He was starting to regret taking on this job in the first place.


	16. Chapter 16

Jamie made his way down to the innkeeper. He needed a believable story in order to get the information out of the old man. He knew small town folks did not give information to people who looked suspicious. Jamie was unassuming enough, but he needed to play on the sympathy card. By the time he reached the front desk, he'd formulated the perfect plan.

"Good morning to ya sir!" The innkeeper, Hassan, greeted. Jamie mumbled a good morning back and reached to pour himself a cup if coffee from the coffee pot that was on the counter. "What brings you here?"

"My name is Jamie," Jamie replied. "I'm looking for my sister. She's disappeared. My parents are awfully worried about her." Jamie took a other sip of coffee. If he was going to pull of the sad brother routine, he needed the extra energy.

"Really?" Hassan asked. "That's just awful! There's a new girl who moved into the farm just south of here. She says she can't remember anything. She may be the girl you are looking for."

"Thank you much!" Jamie answered. Setting his coffee mug back on the counter. He could only hope that was the girl. Maybe then he could get Vaughn and Alex out of his life for good.

* * *

There was much evidence of the girl's night Gwen and Lyla had enjoyed the next morning. Gwen sighed and decided to clean up later. Right now she needed to check and see if Kurt had returned. Before she could do that there was a knock on her door. She answered and found herself staring into Joe's tears eyes.

"I found Kurt," Joe stated his voice was devoid of all emotion.

"Where?" Gwen asked.

"Out by the lake, I think he's dead ," Joe replied. She sprang into action. She grabbed her pistol and and badge. Punching in some numbers into her cell phone, she ran out the door. Time to bring the cavalry in.

Gwen had seen crime scenes before, but it was different when it was someone you cared about. She stared at Kurt's body feeling helpless. She didn't dare touch anything, in fear of jeopardizing the case. She knew enough that no law official would ever allow her to process the scene of her lover. Instead of checking on him, she taped off the area. Help would be there soon.

* * *

"I want to help!" Jack hissed into his cell phone. He'd stepped outside of Heartful Lyla to make the phone call to his boss, the minute he'd received Gwen's call.

"We're sending Takakura," Director Timmons stated. "We need you to stay undercover and find out more about Vaughn. Hell he probably is the culprit in this murder." Jack stopped arguing. Takakura was his old partner. If anyone could get the job dove, it was him.

"Jack you okay?" Lyla asked from behind him. Jack jumped. He hadn't even heard her open the door. Usually he was more alert and aware of his surroundings.

"Yeah I'm fine," Jack replied posting on a fake smile.

"You look worried about something. Why don't you take a day off if you need it," Lyla stated.

"That's a good idea," Jack replied. He made his way to the moonlight cafe, where Vaughn was quickly becoming a regular. It was time to have a little chat with the man.

* * *

Tina ran to the farm with the new information she had just uncovered about Maion Corporation. From her source, Maion seemed to be connected with Dr. Trent Schuster, the Doctor who had been involved in the controversy over animal replication. Was it possible that he could be doing human replication with Maion? They were infamous for their rumors of illegal human testing. She had renewed exitement about this story. She reached the farmhouse as Rachel was emerging from the henhouse.

"Hey!" Tina called out. "I have some new news for you!"

Rachel stopped instantly. Any news that could help her find out more about her past was welcome. The night before had been horrible. She hadn't slept very much, and when she did she'd had horribly vivid dreams. The same three men kept appearing in her dreams. She couldn't help but think that perhaps they were not dreams, but memories.

"What did you find out?" Rachel asked excitedly. She shifted her basket full of eggs to her other hand.

"I found out a lot of stuff. Do you have some time?" Tina asked.

"I have to drop this basket off in the maker shed, as soon as I do that, I can join you." Rachel advised. She was excited to find out more.

Tina and Rachel sat at the small table in the house Rachel was staying in. It seemed quite odd to Rachel that she would be in this kind of situation with the journalist. When she had first met Tina her impression of her had been less than stellar.

"I've found out that Maion is working with Dr Trent Schuster, he's a doctor who got in deep trouble for his work on replication of animals. He was trying to get replication for humans approved when all replication was banned!" Tina excalimed. "Does that name ring any bells?" Rachel shook her head. She'd never heard that name in her life before.

"No, that's not a name I recognize," Rachel answered slowly.

"How about Doctor Alex Martin?" Tina prodded. The name sent icy chills town Rachel's back. A picture of a thin man wearing a white doctor' slab coat, and thin black wire glasses flashed in her brain. He had a scowl which seemed to be permanently plastered on his face. He was the one who had always been poking her with various needles. Rachel slowly nodded afraid to speak. Afraid that acknowledgement of the man would make him appear. Tina's excitement grew. "That's his new name!"

"What?" Rachel asked confused.

"The doctor, after the scandal he changed his name!" Tina exclaimed.

"Oh," Rachel sighed. Tina could see Rachel was not catching on, and decided against telling the girl her hypothesis. Instead she smiled at Rachel. If she was a Human replica, she could be in danger. It was time to go to Dunhill. He was the closest thing this town had to a sheriff. Rachel glanced out the window to see an overweight man enter into the farmyard. This was the man from her dreams! "Tina!"

"What?" Tina asked.

"See that man walking out there?" Rachel asked, pointing to the window. Tina squinted her eyes to get a better look at him.

"Yeah?" Tina asked. "Someone you know?"

"I think so, but i think he's a bad man!" Rachel exclaimed. She watched in horror as the man walked up to Henry to talk, then Henry pointed towards her cabin. "What do we do?"

"I have a plan," Tina stated. "You just stay hidden."


	17. Chapter 17

**Some fun stuff to come!**

* * *

"Tina!" Rachel whispered excitedly.

"Go! Hide!" Tina ordered, as there was a knock on the door. Rachel hid under her bed. Her heart was beating wildly. She remembered that man vividly now. He had held her captive. She wasn't sure of the reasons why, but he was one of her guards. She remembered that he would often take certain "liberties" with her. Touching her in ways that made her feel like vomiting. Rachel heard the door open. Jamie, his name was Jamie.

"Looking for the new farmer named Rachel," Jamie stated.

"That would be me," Tina answered confidently. There was a long pause. "Is there something you needed?"

"No, I apologize, it's just my wife, that was her name. She's been missing for a while," Jamie advised.

"Sorry hope ya find her!" Tina replied cheerily.

"Thanks," Jamie mumbled. Rachel heard the door close.

"Coast is clear," Tina whispered. Rachel crawled out from under the bed.

"That man," Rachel advised. "He was one of my guards. He held me captive. I remember being locked up in a room."

"Really?" Tina asked barely able to contain her excitement. This story was getting bigger by the moment!

"Yes," Rachel sighed. Tears rolled down her face. She was so grateful that Tina had been there and thought do quickly on her feet. "Thank you Tina."

"You're welcome," Tina replied. "I'm going to go home now. I'll let you know when that bastard leaves town."

Henry watched the man leaving his farm.

"Not the right girl?" Henry asked, the man shook his head. Henry sighed. He had hoped for some insight for Rachel. Felicity worried about Rachel's lack of memory. There was something mysterious and elusive about Rachel, that Henry couldn't quite put his finger on. He didn't know if it was due to her amnesia, or if there was something more.

* * *

Jack was itching to find out details on the murder, but instead was stuck staying undercover. He sat at the bar in Moonlight Cafe, the blonde barmaid Eve was flirting shamelessly with Vaughn, who was also sitting at the bar. Vaughn was doing his best to ignore her advances. Jack hoped to learn some more about the man by observing him.

"Do you spend most of your nights alone?" Eve asked Vaughn. "That's a shame that such a handsome man as yourself doesn't have a woman to keep him company." She leaned up against the bar. Vaughn could easily read between the lines. Eve was offering herself to him. He weighed his options. He was staying at the Sanatorium, but it wouldn't hurt to involve himself with a woman. It would make him look more "normal."

"I manage," Vaughn replied, trying to put a lightness in his voice he didn't feel. He smiled back at Eve. She had a voluptuous figure, and Vaughn had noticed that she was beautiful.

"Well sugar, you let me know if you're looking for some fun," Eve purred.

"Eve! Get back to work!" Her Uncle Duke yelled. Eve made a face.

"Back to the taskmaster," Eve replied with a wink at Vaughn.

"She's a hot one," Jack mused. "Wouldn't mind a roll I'm the hay with her." Vaughn turned to the man. He'd heard of this man. He'd come into Flowerbud as a homeless drifter and got a job at the seed shop.

"Yeah," Vaughn replied. "Thinking about taking her up on her offer."

"Can't blame ya there," Jack lied. Eve was a vapid woman who clearly used her sexuality to get what she wanted. Most men liked that, but not him.

"So where did you come from?" Vaughn asked. He didn't trust this stranger.

"Used to live in Highland City. Was in the foster system most my life. Started wandering and drifting around. But I like it here," Jack stated. He was good at being quick on his toes. Vaughn couldn't verify his story very easily this way.

"What about you man?" Jack asked.

"Here helping my cousin out. He said he needed someone to help around his Sanatorium," Vaughn advised. "Live in Highland city myself. Name's Mark."

"Jack," Jack replied. He turned back to his beer to avoid looking like he was too interested in Vaughn. Tonight's conversation had been enough of an introduction.

Later that evening, Jack watched as Eve led Vaughn up to a room in the Inn. That could definitely be used to his advantage. She'd be a good witness if needed.

* * *

Gwen's little office turned into a tactical area for the small team that had come to investigate Kurt's murder. Gwen was nearly beside herself, but doing what she could to keep it together. A man named Agent Takakura headed up the team.

"Ma'am do you have any suspicious characters here in Town?" Gwen asked.

"Vaughn Layton's here. He's going by the name Mark," Gwen whispered. "I suggest you interview Jack too, just as a formality. Since he's 'new' too." She used finger quotes around the word new.

"Jack and I were partners for a while," Takakura said. "He's a good man."

"Yes he is," Gwen stated. She buried herself back into paperwork to avoid crying. Kurt was dead. It was hard to believe. She had been barely holding on by a thread all day long. Kurt had been the love of her life for to long. He had been the main reason she'd returned to Flowerbud. How had she missed this? How had she not noticed what Joe had? She was a detective for Goddess sake! Gwen rubbed her fingers against her temples. She couldn't wait to get home, so she could mourn in solitude.

* * *

Rachel moved around her house, she was restless, but dared not to venture out of her house, for fear of running into Jamie. She couldn't help but wonder why he had held her captive. She couldn't help but wonder if there really was a family out there missing her somewhere. Although out of all the memories she had, she there were none of a family. There was a knock on her door. She jumped. She sat silently at her chair as the pounding got louder.

"Come out!" A voice yelled. She recognized the voice as Jamie. Her heart was beating faster and faster. How had he figured it out? The pounding continued to increase, and Rachel started looking around for something to protect herself with.


	18. Chapter 18

Rachel's heart was beating heavily against her chest. She stood frozen bit knowing what to do. She could hear Jamie continue to bang on her door demanding her to open it. She did nothing.

"Get out here!" Jamie shouted. "Should have picked a different name if you wanted to be hidden!" She was more frightened than ever. Finally Rachel heard a voice, it was Henry's. She pressed her ear to the door.

"Just what are you doin?" Henry yelled.

"Trying to talk to your girl here!" Jamie shouted back.

"Clearly she does not want to talk you!" Henry said. She heard the man grunt a response, but couldn't make it out. Then she heard a scuffle. Rachel finally sprang into action, she grabbed a heavy shovel perched up against the wall and opened the door. Jamie was attempting to wrestle Henry down to the ground, but Henry was much tougher than he was. Jamie looked at Rachel, his eyes widened.

"I knew it! You bitch!" Jamie screamed. He pulled away from Henry to go after her. Out of pure instinct, Rachel lifted the shovel. It connected with the side of Jamie's head. She screamed as he crumpled to the ground. 

* * *

Jack tried to ignore sweet little Lyla's smiles and soft touches. As she became more comfortable with him, she also turned more flirty. If Lyla wasn't so damn adorable, it might have been easier for him to ignore her. But her sweet little sideways glances and tender touches were starting to affect him. He stood pretending to be oblivious of her advances. People came and went out of Lyla's shop all day. Jack would help with the heavy lifting. He felt useless. He should be out in the field helping find the person who'd murdered Gwen's lover.

"Hello handsome," a rather busty blond woman greeted Jack. "Never seen you around here before." The woman was standing too close to him got comfort.

"Good afternoon Muffy!" Lyla called out. She sounded less cheery than normal.

"Lyla darling!" Muffy cooed. "When did you get such a handsome man up help you out?"

"He'd been working god me for a few weeks now," Lyla explained, Muffy turned back to Jack.

"Well that's just great. My usual please!" Muffy called out. Jack watched the internal struggle play out on Lyla's beautiful features, before she finally retreated into the back room. "Handsome, what's your name?"

"Jack," he replied. This woman reminded him of the barmaid at Moonlight Inn.

"Well then Jack, what do you do when Lyla's not forcing you to slave away?" Muffy asked. She leaned forward till one of her breasts almost touched his arm. A move Jack was sure drove many men crazy.

"The usual stuff," Jack replied nonchalantly.

"Well then honey, why don't you buy me a drink tonight? This town has a nice little bar," Muffy purred.

"Sorry ma'am," Jack replied. "Don't have a whole lot of extra g, been kinda homeless for a while." He hope that explanation would be enough. Muffy unfortunately was not the type of woman to take no for an answer.

"Well then, let me buy you a drink sugar," Muffy cooed.

"No thank you," Jack stated. He tried to sound offended. Muffy looked undaunted.

"Don't tell me you don't agree with women paying for a man!" Muffy exclaimed.

"Got your bouquet!" Lyla called out at that moment. Muffy sighed and sauntered over to Lyla to pay. Jack took that moment to slip out of the shop into her living area. He hoped she wouldn't mind. It was the only way he could think of to get rid of Muffy. 

* * *

The day of Kurt's funeral was a rough day for many people. Gwen knew that people here were devastated and frightened! Who in their town was a murderer? Because her affair with him had been a secret, she wasn't afforded the same courtesies that most people who had lost a significant other was. People talked and speculated horrible things about Kurt right in front of her!

"Hang in there," Lyla whispered in her ear Gwen was never so grateful for Lyla in her life.

"Thanks," Gwen whispered back. Today she wasn't a cop, or investigator. Today, she was a woman, who was mourning the loss of her lover. Gwen's eyes traveled around the small room in town Hall. She was shocked to see Vaughn there! She was almost certain he was the guilty of Kurt's murder, but couldn't prove it. Vaughn turned, and Gwen quickly looked away. 

* * *

Henry pulled the rather large man onto his tractor, so he could bring him to the clinic. He wasn't sure who this man was, but there was little doubt that he was not a good man. Rachel stated at him wide eyed and trembling. This was a man from Rachel's past. Felicity had come out after all the commotion, her eyes were brimming over with tears.

"What happened?" She asked. Rachel looked at the beautiful Farmer's wife. Both of them had extended such kindness to her.

"I am so sorry," Rachel side. "I have put you both in this situation. Because of my lack of memory, you could have gotten hurt you." Henry was about to agree with her, when Felicity rushed over to the young girl.

"Don't you worry!" Felicity gushed. She wrapped her arms around Rachel. "I am just glad that you are okay."

"I'm sorry Henry," Rachel stated. She knew Felicity had a kind heart, but Henry she was sure would be more suspicious. "I don't know anything about this man. Except that he is a bad man, that is all I can say. I know that he had held me captive somewhere, but beyond that I do not know."Henry stare at Rachel, wondering if he could believe the story or not. Her story was quite credulous, almost too hard to believe. A girl comes to a small town with no memory, and then claims that a person had held her captive. It was too strange, it's strangeness was part of what made her story so believable.

"I think it's time you tell us everything you know," Henry said sternly. Felicity glared at her husband.

"Henry! That is no way to treat someone who is in the danger that she is in!" Felicity chided.

"No," Rachel intervened. "He is right. It is time that I tell everyone what I know. It is the only way that I can think of to keep this town safe." Rachel looked at the two people who had treated her so kindly, she felt horrible for putting them in such danger. She knew what she had to do. She had to come clean, even if it's meant exposing herself. Even if it's meant putting herself back in harms way. She could no longer allow for two innocent people, or anyone else in this town, to be in danger because of her.


	19. Chapter 19

**More Will and Chelsea. and there will be more Sanhay and Rachel to come**

* * *

Will was not accustomed to feeling so powerless. All his money had always been able to fix problems in the past. He had assumed that it would be the same with Chelsea and her illness. But all the planning and all the money he'd put into this project, it had failed due to homan error. When Will had found the doctor that had specialized in human replication, he thought the answers to his problems had been found. Of course he had kept all of this quiet from Chelsea. Chelsea would not have wanted this to happen. Everything had worked, but then they had let the girl get away! will was fuming. It was only intensified by the fact that Chelsea's condition was getting worse. Her doctor couldn't explain why her health was declining so much, all he kept saying was that she needed a miracle. The miracle, unfortunately, had gotten away.

Will no longer cared about the reputation of the company. He wanted to find the answers no matter what. He was not willing to allow Chelsea to die because people in Flowerbud could not keep track of one girl! Will tried to calm himself before he entered Chelsea's room. He did not allow her to see his stress, he feared if she saw him stressing, she would worry. She didn't need to worry about anything but herself at this point.

"What are you doing here?" chelsea asked when he entered the room. Will was suprised to hear his wife sounding so irritated. Typically she enjoyed their nightly visits.

"Visiting you my love," Will replied.

"Wasn't today your father's birthday party?" she asked. Will looked chagrined. He was hoping she would not remember that. He did not want to go without her, and she was too weak to attend a party.

"Well, why aren't you there?" Chelsea asked.

"How can I be there when you're here?" Will asked in return. Chelsea struggled to sit up.

"Then we'll both go," Chelsea stated, she was short of breath from attempting to sit up on her own in bed.

"Chelsea, you know that party is going to be too much for you," Will insisted. He was trying to be gentle with her. He knew when she was like this there was little reasoning with her.

"Your father has done so much for us, and for you to ingnore him in this fashion on his birthday, it's deplorable!" Chelsea scolded.

"Well then I'll go, you stay," WIll insisted.

"But-"

"No buts!" Will interrupted. "You are not going. I will go, but I don't want you to get sick as a result of this." Chelsea sighed, and laid her head back down on her pillow. She closed her eyes, and Will breathed out with relief. He didn't want to upset Chelsea, it would only make her condition worse. He slipped out of the room, as he was leaving he dialed Vaughn's cell phone. 

* * *

"How you holding up?" Jack asked Gwen. He had called Gwen for a status update on the investigation. Usually he would have gone to her office, but these days it was too dangerous for him to be seen associating with her. He was getting closer to Vaughn, and didn't want his true identity to be revealed. He also didn't want to be left out of the details of the investigation. Jack heard Gwen sigh heavily over the phone. He knew what it was like to lose a loved one because of Vaughn. He was more determined than ever to bring the man down. They just needed to get the proper evidence. Both he and Gwen knew Vaughn was guilty of Kurt's murder.

"I..." Gwen started. "I'm okay I guess. I am not really sure what to think to be honest." Gwen didn't say anything else. She appreciated Jack asking her, but she was too hurt to say anything else. She knew that Vaughn was responsible. There could be no one else who was capable of doing somthing so terrible to him. She also knew from experience that because of his association with Maion corporation, even if he did go to trial, he would be represented by the most expensive, most experienced attorneys. Kurt had been the love of her life, and now he was gone. It seeemed surreal. It was completely unfair that vaughn was living his life here in Flowerbud, and Kurt was buried in the ground. It angered Gwen and she wanted justice.

"I am establishing a bond with Vaughn," Jack stated. "It's helping me get closer to him. I am hoping he will trust me enough to hire me."

"Be careful Jack," Gwen replied.

"I always am," Jack answered. "I'll talk to you later."

"Goodbye," Gwen stated. Jack hung the phone back up. He wanted justice for Kurt just as much as Gwen did. It was time that Vaughn was held responsible for his actions. 

* * *

"So talk!" Henry stated sternly. He stared at Rachel angrily. Felicity, who was sitting next to him nudged him with her elbow.

"Don't be so harsh!" Felicity scolded. The entire Town had gathered for a meeting about Rachel. Rachel was a bit nervous with everyone staring at her. Tina stood up in front with her. Out of everyone in town, Tina was the last person that Rachel ever expected to become an ally. But the reporter was turning into someone that she could rely on.

"I don't know where to start," Rachel said. "So I'll start from the beginning. Ever since I've arrived here, I've had flashes of memory. Memories of people performing painful tests, memories of being locked up."

"So you put my family in danger!" Henry shouted.

"Henry!" Felicity scolded. "This girl could be in danger! If she is we need to help her!" Henry sat down begrudgingly. Felicity's kind heart was always willing to reach out to those in need.

"I don't know," Rachel replied. "I wasn't sure if I was imagining things, or if the memories were real. I realized they were real when that man showed up. All I know is that he was one of my captors."

"So what do you expect us to do?" Dr. Klaus asked.

"Nothing," Rachel replied.

"Look everyone," Tina jumped in "I have a hunch of what's going on, it involves Maion corporation." Nobody in the town liked Maion. A few years back it had tried to buy out Echo Town, to turn it into some high-class vacation resort. They had done everything they could to get the villagers out, but nothing had worked. Tina looked at Rachel, assuring her with that look that everything would be okay. Tina then began to explain the suspicions they had about Maion Corporation and Rachel.

After Tina's explanation, there was a murmur around the room. Rachel could see that there were some who believed her, and others who did not. She could see the doubt in Henry's eyes, and the sympathy in Felicity's eyes. She could see Dr. Klaus's scowling, and Dunnhill looking worried. All around the room, she saw different reactions. However there was one face, that she could not bring herself to look at. She did not look at Sanjay. She did not want to see his response. Afraid that his response would be disgusted, or distrust, like some of the other villagers.

"I for one am not willing to stand by, and allow Maion Corporation to do anything to this girl! "Dunhill exclaimed. "I think as a town, we need to do what is right and protect this girl."

"The mayor is right!" Felicity chimed in. "I could not in good conscience turn this girl over to that monster!"

"You're really putting a lot of trust in her," Henry replied. Felicity turn to her husband.

"You're right I am! just as a trusted you when we first met. People in this town do not like newcomers, and yet I welcomed you with open arms, and the rest followed suit." Henry said nothing more. His lovely wife was right. When he first moved into town, people had been rather mistrusting of him as well. The town was not accustomed to newcomers. He sighed, there was very little he'd deny Felicity.

"I'm for helping," Henry sighed. The general consensus seemed to be to help Rachel. Tears formed in Rachel's eyes. She hadn't expected this kindness from the town.

After the meeting, Rachel felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned to look up into the face of Sanjay. She flushed, not wanting to know what he was going to say.

"So Tina thinks you are a human replication?" Sanjay asked.

"Apparently," Rachel replied. She looked away."I'm sorry, I didn't know myself, until recently." Rachel quickly ran away from Sanjay leaving him wondering what he had done to make the girl so upset.


End file.
